Pay Attention to Your Students by Katelynn

Katelynnof River Falls's entry into Varsity Tutor's January 2015 scholarship contest

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Katelynn of River Falls, WI
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Pay Attention to Your Students by Katelynn - January 2015 Scholarship Essay

If I could give a teacher one piece of advice to help me learn, it would be to pay more attention to the students. I know some students say things to the teacher just to get out of an assignment or to suck up to them, but sometimes listening to the students more often can help a whole classroom grow and succeed even more. For example, if you have taught multiple lessons on a chapter, but when the test comes around and almost the entire class gets low grades, that says something about your teaching style. Maybe how you’re teaching isn’t the best method for the class and those in it. Also, say you have a big project for the students to do for an end of the year assessment, but the students have a lot of other things going on to finish the year. Maybe you should modify the project so that it is doable for each individual. Yes, sometimes students just say things to get out of assignments and tests, but sometimes it’s important for the teacher to acknowledge what the students are saying.

By paying more attention to the students’ body language, you can tell a lot about their learning styles. By assigning strictly worksheets and tests, some students will feel less motivated to work hard and do their best. On the opposite end of the spectrum, by assigning only projects and group tests, some students will feel left out and for some, group work doesn't let them reach their full potential. By paying attention to the body language of a student, you can help yourself be the best teacher you can be and to reach each and every student in the learning styles that work best for them.

As a teacher, it is difficult to sort out when you should listen to your students and when not to. It also depends on the age you are teaching. The older the student, the more apparent your teaching style will be. With elementary age children, it is more important for you as the teacher to follow what you know and just try your best to include each and every child. By listening and paying attention to each student in your classroom, you can help each child to reach their full potential and do their best in your classroom.

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