Creating an Ideal Classroom Environment by Melissa

Creating an Ideal Classroom Environment by Melissa - October 2014 Scholarship Essay

Hands on learning, one-on-one time with the instructor, and an in depth look on topics relevant to students. These are all things lacking in our current education system that I think would help not only me, but also a majority of students to succeed in a classroom environment.

I think that it’s important in education to understand that everyone learns differently. Whether audibly, visually, or kinesthetically, everyone has some way of learning that works for him or her. I’ve found for myself, there are several things that are very important in the classroom to help me focus. Having been a dancer for the past 16 years, I am a very kinesthetically based learner. I need to be able to do things hands-on to understand them. Because of this, I think that it’s essential in a learning environment for students to be able to do certain things that they are learning. Whether it’s mixing together chemicals in a lab for Science class, or painting a scene based of a famous artist’s for Art class, I think that hands-on activities help to show students the importance of certain topics and to demonstrate what they are learning about.

Another thing that I think would help to create an ideal learning environment is one-on-one time with the instructor. I think that having time with one’s teacher really helps to answer students’ specific questions and to help keep them motivated. For many years I have struggled with ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). This has made it very difficult for me to focus in class and causes me to sometimes miss out on important information at times. I’ve found that in classes that I have more one-on-one time with the teacher, I’m able to keep up with the material, and feel a lot more confident that if I do miss something, my teacher can help me to catch up. I think that having more time individually with the teacher would really push me to do my best in class and would inspire others to do the same.

The last thing I think would help to create an ideal classroom environment is making sure to have topics relevant to students. I believe that it’s important for students to be learning things that they are interested in, or that they will use in the future. If a topic is completely irrelevant to student and is not helping them in any way, what is the point of teaching it to them? Although I understand people want students to be well rounded and explore all of the different topics out there, I think that once students get to a certain point in their education they should have a lot more say in what they are learning about. I think that this would give students the motivation to actually pay attention to what they’re learning about.
These are three very important things that I think would help to create an ideal classroom environment. By focusing more on what the students need, I think schools could make it to a point where everyone is motivated to learn and looks forward to going to class every day. Because education is so important in our society, I think that it’s essential to review our system every once in a while to make sure that students needs are truly being met.