Embracing Diversity

I firmly believe that one of the most important things in education is that everyone should feel safe, peaceful, a vital piece of the group and included. Making this happen in the classroom and creating an atmosphere of indulgence is one of the key responsibilities of a teacher. We are living in a world that is constantly globalizing and we need to make students aware of this diversity. Educating students about respect for differences, equity and equality is essential in creating a peaceful society. We should see any difference as wealth, not an obstacle. Students must be appreciated and embraced regardless of their individual differences or backgrounds.

Holistic Approach

Every single student experiences different processes in their development. Cognitive, social, emotional and physical development of students should be taken into consideration equally and in a balance in the education process. Teachers should remember that each student's development is unique and at his/her own pace. In order to increase student engagement and effectiveness of education, students should be observed carefully. Developing learning strategies and materials with available opportunities that best suit the development of students is crucial both for academic and personal progress.

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Enabling Experiential Learning

In my opinion and based on my teaching experience, students learn best with authentic materials within real-life contexts. Provided that the students are included in real experiences, they are able to make connections easier and internalise the knowledge and the learning process is enhanced. Through experiential learning, students not only improve their vital skills such as critical and analytical thinking, problem solving, decision making but the process also enriches self-confidence, self-efficacy, autonomous learning, creativity, sociability and team spirit. Integrating lessons with life experience also caters for the cognitive, social and physical development of students.

This approach can be performed through the integration of projects, group works, individual engagement, both inside and outside of the school. With this approach, which is process-oriented rather than result-oriented, active participation and self-expression are also encouraged. It is useful to practice, recall and repeat. Also relating the new knowledge to examples, metaphors and stories to concepts that students are already familiar with is beneficial. It is worthy to note that chunks and visual aids are curcial.

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Motivating Students to Reach Their Full Potential

In getting the best out of the students, keeping them motivated is a very critical task for teachers. One of the missions of a teacher is to assist students recognize their skills and potential as there may be some conditions that hinder a student from bringing out the best work. It is imperative for a teacher to make fine observations and in-depth analysis that may result in unmotivation so that students can overcome personal challenges and focus on their studies. Creating a positive atmosphere where they feel safe and included is helpful for any student. Also, knowing the students better helps to identify their needs and interests. Offering activities that fit the needs of students and appeal to them is the first step for engagement. As some students may not be aware that they can exceed their level, once this is accomplished, it is necessary to challenge students in order to make them realize their hidden abilities and take one more step ahead. Teachers should also be aware of students with low self-esteem. It is important to start with some basic and easier tasks first. The lessons should be designed from easy to hard, concrete to abstract, simple to complex and known to unknown. It is also necessary for students to have opportunities that encourage them to step out of their comfort zones and to understand that making mistakes is totally natural while learning. Students should know that they can make mistakes and it is not a big deal. They should know that with proper guidance, mistakes make an excellent learning experience.

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