How do students learn?

Creating a variety of lessons that will appeal to most of your students

Theory often comes near the bottom of the pile when it comes to teaching, but there are several things worth knowing about how people learn and how best you can teach them.

Which student is guilty?

Postbox letter from Deewise

It makes me question our Western attitude to the one whose work has been copied. We tend to view them as part of a conspiracy to defraud the school or grading system. Increasingly I am seeing this as a self-serving attitude perpetuated by the school because it helps the school administration,

The class A and B new norm

Is it going to work well or is the system doomed to fail?

Teachers were told that the standard programme student classes, that each consist of thirty-odd students, would be split into approximate halves and each group would now only study at the school on alternative days.

Whiteboard work

Postbox letter from Matthew

It’s interesting how we often take issues around boardwork for granted, even little things like how best to stand and write.

Writing on the board

Where do you stand as a teacher?

Classroom management problems are more likely when a teacher is not keeping an eye on the class, so turning your back to the students is not a good idea. Teachers do that when they write on the board.

Stars and candy

When rewarding our students for their efforts works ..... and when it doesn't.

Children aren’t pigeons. Learning isn’t simply habit formation reinforced by a teacher with an unending supply of stickers and stars. The fact is, we can’t induce children to do our bidding for long by offering a reward or issuing a threat.

Withitness

The art of knowing what's going on in your classroom at all time

A withit teacher can see when students are not paying attention, which students can’t follow the lesson, when students are becoming restless, etc.

Secret classroom management techniques

Some tips for controlling students

In the beginning days and weeks, you have to be more stern, that's just the way it is. Don't be too playful. In fact don't be playful at all. You have to show the students that you mean business.

There's nothing wrong with playing favourites

Postbox letter from Mark

In Thailand, most large (40+) classes are overloaded with under-performers. When your time is at a premium you have to share it judiciously among the crowd. So you have to make hard choices