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The pandemic-led pivot to online learning hasn’t been easy on teachers or students. While students went from sitting in classrooms to being confined at home and learning online, teachers have had to figure out how to teach remotely and get accustomed to teaching online. Even though online teaching and learning began with trepidation, the current reality has brought in distance learning as an integral part of the education system. Online learning as a modality of teaching and learning is here to stay for a while and it is constantly evolving.

Even though online teaching has certain limitations, it also has a plethora of opportunities to explore. The virtual classroom has ensured that there is no back seat in online education. In fact, when done right, online education can be surprisingly intimate! With online classrooms, every student is in the front row! Check out these 5 handy strategies to make the most of online classrooms by increasing students participation:

1. Increase Teacher Presence

The online classroom shouldn’t feel like it’s running on auto-pilot mode. The instructor should make sure that students feel connected to him or her by having one-on-one conversations in the online classroom. The online class actually embodies the instructor’s personality—a major means of connection with the audience. So, instructors should go all out to keep the class alive with their unique style, be it puns or persona.

Furthermore, the instructor should make it easy for students to get in touch with them via emails or calls (if necessary). A regularly scheduled “office hour” to address concerns encourages students to speak up if they have challenges or questions. One can also create and share a document containing recurring student queries related to the course or assessments.

2. Space Out the Content

Information overload is a real phenomenon that can confuse students as well as lead to loss of interest. Neuroscience has proven that our attention span is, at max, 10 minutes. After that, our attention starts to wane. So, spacing out content and chunking it into 10-minute segments will give students the opportunity to recall and review information, therefore committing it to their long-term memory. To keep the content engaging for all, ensure to provide information in varied formats like videos, audio, text, voice-over slides, discussions and more. Teachers should be creative and have students take turns to present or ‘teach’ as well as try debates, online quizzes, polls and so on. Digital tools like Google Classroom can be a useful teaching aid.

3. Have a Call to Action

Instructors should make students take what they've learned and use it for a real purpose, as opposed to simply writing a paper or taking a test. Each lesson should consist of a piece of information and a related, meaningful student action. It need not necessarily be an elaborate project but can be about solving a problem, writing an opinion piece, providing relevant illustrations and so on. Engage more with students by asking open-ended questions that require a higher level of reflection and thinking.

4. Provide Meaningful Feedback

Feedback is an essential part of effective learning which can foster strong relationships among a teacher and a student. However, it is essential to make the process of providing feedback a positive, or at least a neutral, learning experience for the student. Unless, there are some serious issues to address in which case it should be handled privately. Feedback helps students feel a sense of progress and rescues them from isolation. To convey a personal sense of connection, instructors can use video every now and then to deliver feedback. As feedback works both ways, don’t forget to solicit feedback from your students too. This will help ensure they are meeting the needs of their audience and improving approach.

5. Include a Community Component

Online learning should be more than sitting in front of a computer. Real engagement involves becoming a part of the larger community of learners. A teacher can create a forum to facilitate students engaging with one another. This kind of community encourages the members to probe and learn more than the assigned course pedagogy. Students will also have more opportunities to connect with instructors and fellow students, discuss coursework and most importantly, become more engaged. Teachers and students share a common responsibility for creating and conserving this learning environment. Such online learning communities can be scholastically successful as well as life-altering at a personal level when created, nurtured, and sustained by all the members of the community.

Even though online classrooms are limited in some ways, they open a virtual doorway to new learning experiences. Making online classes interesting is harder and there’s an awful lot to learn as the online learning space is constantly evolving. All it takes is a digital mindset, the right tools, a focused approach, and enthusiasm to evolve with one’s students.

The paradigm shift in teaching and learning has replaced the blackboard with various learning management platforms. Google Classroom is one of the most widely used platforms for learning and teaching. Google Classroom is part of the G Suite for Education (Google for Education) package that includes Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, and other apps.

Why Google Classroom?

Compared to other LMS (Learning Management Systems) that have been popular over the past decade, Google Classroom is amazingly simple. Even though Google Classroom is more of a tool than an LMS, it is a ‘one-stop-shop’ for an organization. What’s more, it’s a free service for teachers and students. The (rather small) catch is that an individual cannot register until their school or organization signs up for the Google for Education package.

How to use Google Classroom effectively?

Online teaching has a lot to offer and one has to actually strive a bit to ace online classroom management. Teachers started with a lot of trepidation but are now getting accustomed to the usage of tools and techniques in online platforms.

However, effective management of online classrooms can only be achieved by understanding the nuances of using the particular platform. Here are a few tips to help one in this aspect. Chenda Jayachandran, Head Customer Engagement at Learning Matters has been training teachers for over two decades and swears by these tried-and-tested techniques. They may sound simple but are critical.

      1. Keep Parents in the Loop

In order to ensure smooth running of online classrooms, keeping the parents in the loop is a necessary step. Google Classroom has options for teachers to send out updates about students' classwork directly to the parents. Communication from school to home should be regular and consistent. It may consist of summaries of lessons completed, alerts or reminders for upcoming or missing submissions, and information about other class activities.

     2. Establish Effective Communication with Students

Establishing clear, direct, simple, and effective communication with students is also key to successful online teaching, Google Classroom has many in-built options to make this easy for teachers. In the “Students” tab, clicking the checkboxes above all of your students’ names highlights all the individuals. Clicking on “Actions” and “Email” helps in drawing attention to something you want to communicate to students. The “Move to top” button can be used when a student hasn’t submitted an assignment or to remind the students of the deadline for submission. Also, the “private comments” feature can be used to communicate with students to give feedback. In this way, Google Classroom simplifies communication with students.

     3. Connect with the Community

Teaching is more successful when it is collaborative. Google Classroom allows you to share your data with your school’s teaching community and collaborate with other teachers who teach the same grade level. You can invite teachers to join your class to help coordinate class activities. If you use Google Groups, you can also invite a group of co-teachers at the same time. Your G Suite administrator might only allow teachers and students from your school to join classes. Google Classroom makes it very easy for educators to collaborate in multiple ways. 

     4. Connect all your Resources with Google Classroom

To make the best use of the Google Classroom platform holistically, you can check out the supported integration of websites or apps available for Google Classroom. You can make use of several other in-built tools like Docs, Drive, and Calendar. Make effective use of Google Drive for collaborative writing, sharing, and commenting which provides students with the opportunities to receive immediate feedback on their assignments from teachers and classmates. By using the Calendar, teachers can streamline effective classroom management. For example, if you post an assignment with a due date, it's automatically added to the class calendar for your students to see. Furthermore, one can digitally organize, distribute, and collect assignments, course materials, and student work on time without any misses. 

Some apps partner with Google directly, while others create and publish their own third-party add-ons in the Chrome Store. For example, if you are looking for learning content online there are integrations with publishers such as Newsela, Khan Academy, and BrainPop. In order to make teaching effective with relevant videos and quizzes, you can check out Kengine - a video-enabled digital content and assessment platform. Kengine can be easily integrated with Google Classroom.

As the way students are learning is changing, a lot of other things are also constantly evolving with regard to teaching, too. Google Classroom has been introducing new features regularly to make teaching and learning easier. They take the user’s feedback very seriously. If you want to suggest a feature then go to classroom.google.com. In the bottom-left corner, click Help (?) > request feature. Enter your suggestion and then click Send.

Last but not least, learning the nuances of Google Classroom is another skill set altogether. But, it can indeed be accomplished. If you are a novice in need of extended support on the usage of this platform, sign up for our in-depth demos and walkthroughs of Google Classroom. As the sessions are handled by Google Certified Experts, get ready to be trained by professionals. Now, anyone can become a pro at using Google Classroom!

The concept of traditional education has changed radically in 2020 due to the pandemic. Now with the rise of various ed-tech learning solutions, being physically present in a classroom isn’t a requirement for learning anymore!

Pandemic or not, it’s safe to say that online teaching is here to stay as a full-time or some kind of hybrid learning model in the coming time. While technology is the main aspect, there are various other important factors that teachers need to pay heed to to ensure online teaching is different from face-to-face teaching. Why so? Because the online environment is drastically different from the traditional classroom environment, teachers need to develop a wide array of new teaching skills and strategies to compensate for the absence of a physical classroom and to ensure students are learning effectively in the new medium.

Here are 5 characteristics of the teaching-learning process in online teaching that should be different from face-to-face teaching.

1. More Emphasis on Community Building & Digital Competency

As a teacher, the utmost responsibility is to complete the syllabus on time. So, it’s common for many teachers to directly jump into teaching from day one. However, with online classes it’s important to devote the early weeks to building a sense of community so that students feel connected with their teachers and peers and therefore, more engaged in the process. Deeper engagement is a must for effective learning.

On the heels of this, it is equally important to ensure students’ comfort and competency in using the chosen online learning platform and tools. A detailed induction to the digital tools used in the classroom is necessary to acquaint students with the virtual classroom settings. It is natural to assume that most students are tech-savvy and that they need no induction on online classrooms. But, this is not always the case. There might be a few timid students who might not speak up and ask questions about the usage of online learning tools due to fear of embarrassment. Kick-starting the learning sessions with creative community-building experiences can help the children unwind among peers.

2. Focus on Streamlined Communication With Parents

Over-involvement of parents in online classes is a real problem. Teachers shouldn’t have to stress over helicopter parents. Schools should therefore facilitate a forum for both parents and teachers to creatively collaborate and build mutual trust.

Teachers must establish a consistent platform and predictable schedule for sharing information with parents. Rather than toggling around with messages and emails, a weekly update at the scheduled time and place will be much more effective and will reduce ad-hoc queries from parents. Also, setting clear expectations and boundaries for communication with both students and parents is important to avoid any kind of misunderstandings.

3. Greater Teacher Collaboration

Collaboration between teachers can ease the burden of online teaching while allowing one to explore more tools and techniques of teaching. Teachers need to work closely together to share their knowledge of digital tools and online teaching tips and techniques to reduce duplication of work and bring in greater efficiency and use of time. In fact, collaboration between teachers is much easier now in the virtual environment.

4. Simplify and Slow Down the Content; Build Critical Skills

The online space is not the ideal medium to cover large portions of content quickly. The physical gap between teachers and students magnifies certain negative aspects of online teaching. Teachers should be mindful of this and need to plan how to teach crucial content and important topics at a slow pace. Teachers also need to pay heed to aspects like the essential knowledge needed to go ahead to the next grade for a pupil as well as acquisition of crucial life- and knowledge skills like analyzing, constructing arguments, summarizing, etc. and build these critical skills through carefully-designed assignments.

5. Take a Backseat on Conventional Grading System

There have been vigorous arguments about how to manage grading in remote learning. Due to the nature of online learning, it would be better to accentuate formative feedback as students work through assignments and tasks, rather than simply grading them at the end. Most of the learning management systems have a feature to provide feedback. So, teachers can make the most of it by making sure to give periodical and meaningful feedback to students while creating avenues to receive feedback from the students and parents on the assignments.

Research suggests that students who have very positive interactions with their teachers are highly successful academically. That is, positive teacher-student interactions have been shown to improve student learning outcomes and grades. This is because when students genuinely enjoy interacting with their teachers, they become more confident about the subject and are more motivated in their academics. 

Therefore it is very important for teachers to make every effort to build positive relationships with students. While this does not come naturally to every teacher it can indeed be built and cultivated with guidance from the top management in the school. After all, it is the leadership who sets the tone for the environment and atmosphere in the school. So, how can your staff work towards cultivating better relationships with their students? Here are the top 5 tips. 

1) Create a Positive Atmosphere in the Classroom

Happy students = happy learners. And how do we make students happy? By engaging them with a variety of activities. Teachers who keep the classroom lively, cheerful and active with various fun activities engage their students at higher rates. This helps create a positive atmosphere which in turn, helps the teacher to connect better with their students. Encourage your academic coordinators to come up with a list of 5-minute activities that teachers can use as ‘brain breaks’ at the beginning of classes or during transitions. Encourage your staff to share activities that students particularly enjoy with one another.

2) Listen actively

Listening with attention, interest and intent to students and genuinely understanding them is one of the most crucial and easiest ways to evaluate not only their interests but also areas of challenges and concerns. This helps the teacher to come up with better ways to make the learning process more engaging for their students. 

One way to do this is to encourage your teachers to set aside some time every week as an “Open Door” time during which those students who would like to share challenges or concerns may do so in private. Remember to set some guidelines around these sessions. Many schools have a counselor on staff - a dedicated person to counsel students. But if you don't have a counselor, that’s perfectly alright. You yourself can take up this role or encourage a coordinator or any teacher who has the natural ability to connect well with students, to become the official “listener”. 

3) Personalize Teaching

Not every student learns in the same way. If you monitor your students closely, you will notice the uniqueness of each one of your students’. Personalizing learning is an efficient way to enhance the scope of learning for a student. It helps build a better connection with your students as they will have the confidence that they can learn efficiently.

4) Talk More Than Just Academics

Teachers should bring in much more than just academics into the classroom. Sharing and discussing a variety of topics that range from personal and inspirational to success will help to enhance the bond between teachers and students. There are many simple ways to inculcate this. One way is to encourage a daily “news hour” during the zero period. Class teachers can designate 5 minutes to discuss a world event of special interest. Another way is for subject teachers to dedicate the first or last 5 minutes of the session as a “share” session. Students can take turns to share something of importance to them. Teachers can set guidelines around these including time limits, what topics are allowed/not allowed, as well as how others are permitted to react. Such extra-curricular discussions help students learn important life skills such as respect and understanding of diversity, empathy, responsibility, and taking alternative perspectives, to name just a few,

5) Motivate! Motivate! Motivate!

Students who are motivated are typically the ones who actively define and seek success. Having a constant source of motivation from their teachers, with whom they spend the most time during the school years, will go a very long way. Teachers should motivate their students not just in academics but also in sports and other extracurricular activities to boost their confidence and also support a healthy lifestyle for students. Encourage your staff to make a note of students’ special interests, skills and strengths and to find opportunities for students to further develop these. A strong emphasis on health, sport, and a variety of arts in the school culture is important to set a strong foundation for motivation.

Start!

To start and bring about positive change, one has to take the first step. If you’re unsure how to take the first step, we are here to take it with you. Our StarTeacher program has supported many school management teams in establishing a culture of positive teacher-student relationships. They now report that students’ learning outcomes have dramatically improved. We would love to help you do the same in your institution. WhatsApp us today to find out how StarTeacher can bring about guaranteed positive change in your school.  

“The true strength in our classroom lies in collaboration between learners and not in the knowledge of one expert” - Unknown. 

An engaging classroom helps students learn things more efficiently. A student who is engaged typically has the best learning outcomes. It is therefore very important for teachers to make their classroom as engaging as possible. An engaging classroom has several important benefits such as: 

1. It increases students’ interest in learning

2. It motivates students to be communicative which, in turn, develops communication and collaboration skills

3. It increases competency across skills and subjects

So, how can teachers make the classroom engaging for all students? Let's look at a few ways to achieve maximum student engagement in the classroom.

1) Conduct Group Activities

Group activities are a great way to achieve collaborative learning among your students. When students are put into groups, learning becomes fun and  in better productivity.

Conducting group activities is considered to be a very effective method to motivate students, encourage active learning, and improve communication as well as decision-making skills. Group activities not only enhance the communication skills of students but also encourage the students’ to listen more carefully. Some examples of group activities that could be conducted in the classroom are group discussions, information-exchange activities, group presentations, role plays, debates, etc.

2) Ask Open-Ended Questions

An open-ended question is one that cannot be answered with a “yes” or “no”. Closed-ended questions, naturally, are those questions that can be answered with a “yes” or “no” such as, “Do you like math?”, “Have you done your homework?” etc. Open-ended questions are a simple yet very powerful way to transform the way students think and communicate.  They encourage students to think, analyse, use language and to express themselves by giving longer answers that help build a wider range of vocabulary. Open-ended questioning has various benefits for students such as: 

a) Encourages students to think more and better 

b) Supports students in coming up with their own ideas and explanations 

c) Develops vocabulary 

d) Develops the habit of thinking of something new or different

e) Improves problem-solving skills.

Teachers should avoid asking questions that have just a single word answer. Also, ask students to explain their answers, which makes the student extend his or her level of thinking and understanding.

3) Gamify Learning

Games and activities are a great way to keep students engaged in the classroom. Since games have that fun element, students stay hooked to them and naturally  participate in the learning process with more interest. Because games have a competitive element to them, learning will be more motivating and bring better engagement. They also are a great way to enhance problem solving, thinking and collaborative skills among students. Teachers can look to gamify certain topics in their subjects regularly which is accomplished best with activities such asstories, competitions, quizzes, puzzles etc.

4) Understand Your Students’ Interests

Understanding the individual you are teaching is very important. Our education system unfortunately considers the entire classroom as as one single unit. But that is not so. The classroom is composed of unique individuals, each with their own personality, likes and dislikes, skills, talents, and abilities. If you look closely and genuinely try to understand each one of your students you will be able to see the uniqueness in each of them. Some may excel with the traditional methods but others may fall behind in the same traditional classroom. Understanding how each of your students’ learns is key to customising your teaching accordingly to enable every student to stay engaged and succeed

5) Encourage Students to Present their Work

Presentations are a great way for students to come up with their own creative ideas. Presentations enable students to explain their understanding of a certain topic and also gives them the platform to improve their public speaking skills, which is very crucial in today’s world. Presentations help students build communication skills and confidence as well as encourage peer learning, collaboration, teamwork, brainstorming, and problem solving - all of which are critical 21st century skills. And of course, presentations are an intrinsic motivation for students to learn and understand topics.  

6) Give and receive feedback

Feedback is a great way for teachers to convey the positives and areas of concern to a student. Having constant feedback sessions with each student will enhance your relationship with the student. Outlining the positives and pointing out the areas of improvement will help the student to grow in a constructive and systematic way. The same holds good for teachers, too. Getting to know about your teaching from your own students will help you understand where you can improve to better teach your students.

What More Can A Teacher Do?

As in every profession, upskilling is important. The same applies to the one profession that teaches every other profession. Today's generation of students are not made for a classroom that uses traditional teaching methods. Teachers must know the latest pedagogy strategies and teaching tools and methods to teach their students. 

We at Learning matters have curated the perfect program for schools who wish to upskill their teachers in order to bring in highest levels of student engagement and therefore sustainable success to their school. Get in touch with us today to help your teachers reach their potential best.

Teaching 21st-century students needs innovative methods proven to work effectively with today’s tech-smart students. Here are seven teaching methods used across the globe that bring in desired academic results in a quicker time when compared to traditional teaching methods. The caveat? They need to be understood and implemented correctly.

This list is beneficial for educators as a starting point to understand what are the top innovative teaching methods being used across the world. By experimenting with different teaching methods, teachers can personalize learning for their students. Let us look at these 7 teaching methods that can be a game changer for any school. 

1) Flipped Classroom 

A modern pedagogy strategy that has gained popularity among educators worldwide, a flipped classroom is a blended learning strategy that directs the students to be self-dependent learners at home and test what they have learned in the classroom with live problem-solving sessions.

Benefits:

a) Students become independent learners

b) Students are better engaged in the classroom

c) Teachers can complete syllabus without being rushed

2) Cooperative Learning

“Teamwork makes the dream work.” A cooperative teaching method is where the teacher groups students and encourages collaborative learning within the groups. Here, the classroom is divided into groups of 3-6 members, where each student has a designated responsibility. Members of the group need to fulfill their respective duties to achieve the objective given to the group. The central ideology of this model is that when students work in groups, peer influence helps to improve attention, involvement, and knowledge acquisition.

Benefits:

a) Develops social interaction and critical life skills

b) Develops higher-level thinking skills

c) Promotes higher engagement and class attendance

d) Fosters interpersonal relationships

3) Problem-Based Learning 

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a method where open-ended problems take centre stage for students to solve. This method enables students to think continuously with motivation and determination until the problem is solved. The student journey for solving the problem requires them to 1) Examine the problem, 2) Explore resources where they can find the solution, 3) Evaluate the ways to solve the problem, 4) Solve the problem, and 5) Report on their findings.

Benefits:

a) Develops critical thinking and decision-making skills

b) Fosters problem-solving abilities

c) Engages students at higher levels

4) Design Thinking

Design thinking is the process of finding meaningful ideas to solve a particular real-world problem that exists in a community or an organisation. It uses a creative, systematic approach to teach problem-solving. When induced into education, it enables students to be innovative and create solutions for others. Here, knowledge is gained only through exploration.

Benefits:

a) Encourages creative thinking

b) Expands the students’ knowledge on a wide range of topics

c) Actively promotes being able to foresee new problems and challenges

5) Competency-Based Learning

Competency-based learning is a method where students progress through learning objectives at their own pace. The main characteristic of this model is that only when a student has mastered a topic are they allowed to continue to the next.

Benefits:

a) Brings in greater flexibility in learning (and achieving)

b) Establishes purpose-driven teaching and learning

c) Uses personalised teaching-learning processes

6) Student-centred approach

The student-centred approach is all about making learning matter to the students. Here students are the ones who plan, implement and evaluate. They get to decide what they learn and how they learn it. The main motive behind this approach is to build leaders within students.

Benefits:

a) Builds leadership within students 

b) Customised learning for students 

c) An approach that is flexible and adaptable 

7) Visual-Based Learning

Visuals help anyone to remember things for a longer period. In school, visual learning can help teachers light up dull subjects that may seem less interesting for students. This teaching method will help keep the students engaged in learning the subjects better with better knowledge retention.

Examples of visual-based learning are the incorporation of mind maps, maps, charts, diagrams, lists, study cards or flashcards as well as the use of audiovisual aids. 

Benefits:

a) Learning is simplified 

b) Longer knowledge retention for students 

c) Learning becomes fun 

Skilled Teachers = Better Implementation

No matter how effective these innovative teaching methods are, teachers first need to be trained well in order to be able to implement them well. Teachers need to be equipped with the proper knowledge and implementation skills.

Enroll your teachers in StarTeacher - a holistic teacher training program that brings proven international teaching methodologies and innovative techniques to your school. Find out how your teachers and school can benefit.

One of the most common questions teachers ask is, “How to manage weaker students?” First, the world would be a much better place if we stopped thinking of certain students as weaker than others. What if we replaced the word “weakness” with “area of opportunity” or “area of challenge”? We immediately begin to consider the students differently! No two children are alike. Similarly, each and every student is unique with their own strengths, capacity for learning, and areas of opportunity. Dealing efficiently and sensitively with students who are underperforming academically can be difficult. Sadly, often such students tend to be written off as unmotivated,  lazy, or simply incapable. And doing so over time severely  undermines their self-assurance which further degrades their academic achievement.

Therefore, it is crucial to approach students who need more support in a strategic and thoughtful manner. They need extra guidance and assistance. Here are seven strategies to help you with this:

1) Identify why exactly the students need help  

It is crucial for teachers to first understand and assess a student's areas of challenges. You can assist them better if you become more familiar with their weaknesses and strengths. Remember, there could be many reasons for a weak academic performance including the following: 

• Worry and stress in home life

• Less access to study materials

• Less or no access to support with learning

• Medical reasons

If you first evaluate students for such issues, you are better able to assist them correctly.

2) Provide encouragement

When dealing with academically underachieving students, criticism comes naturally. The teacher's criticism may cause a student to get completely demotivated and give up on their studies and efforts. 

In order to lift the students up, it is important to gently encourage them rather than put them down. In addition to boosting their self-esteem, this will encourage students to approach you with their concerns, queries or worries.

3) Engage them in multiple ways

Just as adults have strong preferences, likes and dislikes, so do children. Not all students can and should be expected to get motivated by the same things. Not all students can and should be expected to learn in the same way. It is critical for teachers to apply and use a variety of teaching methods, strategies, visuals and teaching aids in order to catch the attention of and engage a variety of learners. 

A teacher training program with modern pedagogy strategies can help teachers learn new ways to engage with their students. Such programs can provide them with additional knowledge and resources for improving their teaching skills. Through professional development opportunities, teachers can learn strategies for classroom management, effective communication, and creating a positive learning environment. Know more: The importance of teacher training program 

4) Provide constructive feedback

A student's overall performance can be greatly improved when they receive constructive criticism. Everyone loves to hear appreciation and positive feedback, which encourages students to work harder. Therefore, teachers must focus on wording feedback carefully. Constructive feedback means providing concrete and specific information, points, and examples that will help students understand their areas of weakness and know what they must do to perform better. Constructive feedback does not mean not giving critical feedback. 

5) Recognize students’ efforts

Students can be encouraged to work harder when their efforts are recognised and rewarded . Being praised for one's efforts can be a very strong motivator for underperforming students as it boosts their self-esteem. Remember, always praise in public and provide constructive feedback in private.

6) Involve the parents 

Parents and teachers are partners in the process of a child’s education. So, don't forget to include parents in your efforts. It is critical to communicate with them and express your concerns as well as your plans to support the students. You should also explain to them how they can help in the development of their child, be it completing homework or exam preparation. Actively involving the parents as partners ensures that the child receives holistic, all-round support in all facets of their lives. It also reduces the stress on the teacher. 

7) Use appropriate technologies and tools

One of the most popular concepts in education today is personalization using A.I. With artificial intelligence, every student can get a tailored learning experience based on their own distinct and unique strengths and areas of opportunities, and this helps weaker students the most. 

In order for students to get the most out of their learning, AI may adjust to their level of knowledge, rate of learning, and ultimate goals. AI-powered tools can examine student's prior learning patterns, spot errors, and recommend lessons best suited for their growth.

One such technology tool is Tara English Language Lab (TELL). TELL is an AI-driven voice assistant teacher that helps learners improve their English communication skills. With Tara, students can learn at their own pace, which can help them retain information more effectively and feel more confident in their language abilities.

Final Thoughts

As an educator, you must be ready and able to work with different types of students and meet their specific needs. To help you with this, there are teacher training programs that can help you with the best strategies to help students who need extra support.  

With a little extra work from your end through a teacher training program, you can indeed make learning an enjoyable and successful experience for all students.  

Effective communication between teachers and parents is crucial for the progress and success of students. After all, students spend a significant portion of their day in school and it's important for parents to know how their child is doing and what areas they may need to work on. By establishing clear and consistent communication channels, teachers can foster trust, build an open line of communication, and ensure that everyone is working together to support students' academic and personal growth. When teachers and parents are able to communicate effectively, it can make all the difference in a student's success. 

Here are some top strategies for effective communication with parents:

1. Work as a Team: Success isn't just about hitting academic benchmarks - it's about fostering a sense of connection and support. By working as a team and embracing open communication with the parents, teachers can create a nurturing and empowering environment that enables students to grow and flourish.

2. Use Multiple Channels of Communication: People use various modes of communication these days and in order to reach as many parents as possible, it's important therefore to use a variety of communication channels. This can include email, text messages, phone calls, and even social media. As well, some parents may prefer one method over another, so it's important to offer multiple options and be responsive to each individual's preference. Using a variety of mediums will help teachers to communicate with parents more frequently. 

3. Communicate Regularly: Parents can feel worried and frustrated when they feel left out of the loop when it comes to their child's education. That's why regular communication with parents about their child's progress and experiences in school is important. By sending newsletters, progress reports and other updates, teachers can help to keep parents informed and involved in their child's learning journey. This not only helps to prevent misunderstandings, but also allows parents to feel more connected to their child's education and to have a better understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement. Additionally, by responding to individual inquiries and concerns, teachers can show parents that their feedback and concerns are valued and that you are committed to working with them to support their child's academic growth.

4. Communicate Responsively: As a teacher, it is important to prioritise the concerns and inquiries of parents as this demonstrates that you value their input and are committed to building a strong foundation of trust. When parents reach out to you with questions or concerns, it's essential to respond in a timely manner - ideally within 24 hours. This shows parents that you are attentive and dedicated to addressing their needs and it can go a long way in building a positive and collaborative relationship. Additionally, it is essential to follow up on any unresolved issues or concerns as this helps to show that you are committed to finding solutions and working together to support their child's academic growth. 

5. Communicate with a Problem-Solving Approach: Often, parents may not see eye-to-eye with the school’s philosophy, ethos or rules. Parents may also disagree with a teacher’s methods. In such times, remember that it is the children who benefit, or not, from the parent-teacher relationship. Instead of taking it personally, approach the issue from a neutral and subjective perspective. Try to view it as a third party would in order to understand the parents’ viewpoints.

6. Personalise the Interactions:  No two students are the same. It follows then that what you share or discuss with parents must be individualised and tailored to their child. Every student has unique strengths, challenges, areas of opportunities, needs, and wants. Ensure that your communication with parents reflects these unique traits.

7. Reflect and Reform: While it is important to follow all the above mentioned points, it is crucial for teachers to constantly strive for improvement in order to provide the best possible education for your students. One way to do this is to carefully analyse your communication processes with parents and identify areas where they can be made smoother and more effective. By taking the time to reflect on your communication strategies and make improvements, you can show your commitment to supporting the success of your students and to building strong partnerships with their parents. This effort can go a long way in fostering trust and cooperation which are essential for the academic growth and well-being of your students.

Effective communication between teachers and parents is essential for student success. By maintaining open lines of communication, teachers can foster trust, keep parents informed and involved in their child's education, and prevent misunderstandings from arising. A teacher training program can provide valuable skills, strategies and tools for effectively communicating with parents, including the correct use of multiple channels of communication, how to be responsive to inquiries and concerns, and how to approach issues with a problem-solving mindset. By investing in professional development, teachers will become more confident and effective communicators with parents, ultimately creating a more positive and supportive learning environment for their students. 

When exam dates are announced, students’ reactions range from the confident to the nervous. While some students are confident and independent in their approach to exams, others rely on their teachers, parents, or friends for guidance. Ideally, teachers should be the best source of support for such students as they possess the right knowledge and can guide their students in the right direction to help them prepare for exams. This blog focuses on how teachers can assist their students in approaching exams with confidence and the right mindset.

1) Teach effective time management

To successfully prepare for an exam, effective time management is not just mandatory but crucial, and teachers play a critical role in helping students develop this important skill. By providing guidance and support, teachers can empower their students to manage their time effectively and achieve academic success.

One of the most effective ways to help students improve their time management skills is to encourage them to create a study schedule or calendar. This schedule should include specific time slots for each subject, as well as for regular breaks and other activities to help students avoid burnout. By breaking down their study sessions into smaller, more manageable chunks, most students will feel less overwhelmed and will be able to make the most of available study time.

2) Create a supportive environment

Creating a supportive environment can help a student go a long way. To create a supportive environment for exam preparation, teachers should provide both academic and emotional support. They should communicate exam expectations clearly, provide study resources, and offer personalised feedback to help students improve their exam performance. Emotional support is equally important, and teachers can provide this by encouraging students to ask questions, express their concerns and feelings, and by providing reassurance and positive reinforcement to help build confidence and reduce anxiety. Creating a supportive environment can help students feel more motivated, develop essential life skills such as self-confidence and resilience, and improve their overall exam performance.

3) Break down the preparation process into parts

Breaking down the exam preparation process into several smaller parts can help students visualise all that they have to do in bite-sized chunks and therefore, reduce their anxiety, feel more in control of their preparation,  and improve their overall exam performance. A useful approach to help students break down the preparation process is to help them create a study plan that breaks down the material into smaller, more achievable tasks. This can involve setting specific goals for each study session and subject, identifying key topics that need to be covered, and prioritising material based on importance and level of difficulty. 

4) Teach them in groups

Teaching students in groups has proved to be an effective way for them to learn faster than learning alone. When teaching students in groups for exams, teachers can use several strategies to ensure success. Firstly, dividing students into smaller groups based on their learning needs and styles can allow teachers to tailor their instructions for each group. Secondly, creating a structured and organized learning environment with collaborative activities like group discussions, peer reviews, and team projects can help students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Thirdly, providing frequent feedback and assessments can help students track their progress and stay motivated. And last, peer learning and scaffolding is a proven way for children to learn in a less stressful and more motivated manner.

5) Provide essential resources 

To help students excel in their exams, teachers should provide relevant textbooks and guides, study materials, and practice papers. They can also create a resource library, conduct review sessions, and use technology to provide online resources and learning tools. By providing essential resources and a supportive learning environment, teachers can help students achieve success.

6) Prioritise students’ mental and physical health

By prioritising mental and physical health, students can improve their cognitive functioning and enhance their ability to concentrate and retain information. This can ultimately lead to better academic performance and overall well-being, making it a win-win situation for students and teachers alike.

Moreover, emphasising the importance of mental and physical health can help reduce the stigma around mental health challenges and create a more supportive and inclusive learning environment for all. This can help students to feel more comfortable seeking support and reduce the risk of academic burnout and dropout rates.

7) Give timely and positive feedback

Giving positive feedback is an effective way for teachers to help their students prepare well for exams. To achieve this, teachers can use several strategies. Firstly, they can provide specific feedback that highlights the strengths of the student's work and identifies areas for improvement. Secondly, they can use encouraging language that recognizes the student's efforts and progress. Instead of negative statements, teachers can use positive framing that motivates students to strive for better results. Thirdly, feedback should be given in a timely manner using a variety of methods such as written comments, one-on-one discussions, as well as peer feedback. 
 

In conclusion, teachers play a vital role in preparing students for exams. By implementing the tips mentioned above, they can ensure that their students approach their exams with confidence. As a go-to source of knowledge, teachers have the ability to equip their students with the necessary skills and information to excel in their exams. With their guidance and support, students can overcome their fears and challenges and achieve academic success. So, if you're a teacher, remember that your efforts can make a significant difference in your students' lives and future endeavours.