“Teachers are the single greatest in-school factor influencing children’s academic achievement.”- Zachary Herrmann
The role that teachers play in student success and academic achievement cannot be overstated. The question of how teachers can help students achieve better academic results spring up quite often and the information out there can be quite overwhelming. The essence of teaching & education does not lie in completing the syllabus on time and academic achievement is not just about good grades. It is about holistic development and growth. It is about communication skills, confidence, social skills, and a lot of other soft and life skills. It is an entire package and the teachers need to communicate this to their students.
While the importance of exciting lessons, challenging assignments, and presentation skills cannot be discounted, there are other simple things that teachers can try to improve the academic achievement of students.
How to Help Your Students with Academic Achievement
Here are some interesting tips that teachers can use to help their students with academic achievement.
1.Establish a Healthy Classroom Atmosphere
Academic achievement is better when the students learn better and students learn better when they feel comfortable and welcomed. It is all connected and teachers must ensure that the classroom is a safe space for students to voice their opinions and concerns. When students feel heard and understood, they perform better and this leads to better learning outcomes. To establish a healthy classroom atmosphere, teachers can include various activities and games. The idea is to create an inclusive environment that does not ostracize students on the basis of grades or performance.
2.Equal Treatment
As mentioned above, no student should feel left out. If any student’s performance is weak or not up to the mark, make sure to encourage them in front of the other students and talk to them in private to understand what’s holding them back. More often than not, teachers read out the marks and grades and this practice must be stopped. Of course, it is okay to recognize the ones who have performed well in the exam, but make sure not to pinpoint the ones who have not performed well. Tell your students that you have high expectations from every one of them.
3.LISTEN!
One of the most important things that often go overlooked is listening to the students. Communication is not just about conveying information it is also about understanding what your students are going through. Some students might not be great at Math and certain others might not be great with languages. This does not mean that you can write them off. Listen to the students and understand how you can help them. They might need an extra nudge or push and as teachers, you have to actively listen to their requirements.
4.Consistent Feedback
For students to perform better, they must know the areas they need to improve at and how they can do it. That’s why consistent and constant feedback is of paramount importance. Assess your students regularly and share your comments and concerns with them so that they are informed and updated. Teachers can also lend a helping hand and share tips and tricks on how they can improve.
5. Understand the Learning Styles
It goes without saying that each student learns at a different pace and their capacity differs. Understand the different learning styles in your classroom and devise strategies accordingly. Your strategy must be a mix of different approaches like hands-on projects, presentations, audiobooks, and likewise. Always keep the VARK model in mind ( Read more about the VARK model here.)
Academic achievement is a widely discussed topic and while it is important to get good grades, as teachers you should be able to make your students understand that that’s not the only thing that matters. Students must not be overburdened with expectations, instead, they must be guided. Teachers, as mentioned, play an inevitable role in student success and the tips that we have discussed are sure to help you with the same.
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