Unlocking the Hidden Potential: Empowering High-Ability Students

 To what extent is my classroom practice part of the problem? To answer this key question, I will examine the issue from a philosophical, communication, psychological, sociological and from health and family life skills. I believe in the holistic development of the student in terms of intellectual, social and personal development, but I have to acknowledge that my classroom practice did not always coincide with my belief. I have not always created that environment for these areas to be nurtured. Some of my students view my subject as neither providing employment opportunities nor teaching life skills. I have come to the realization that the subject must be made relevant to their lives, make it their own. They must be shown how history can assist them in becoming holistic individuals in terms of critical thinking, problem solving, identity formation and learning from the mistakes and accomplishments of others. A first step was letting them write about their own personal and family histories. 

My discourse with the students can certainly be improved. My classes were heavily teacher-centered and not student-centered. I did most of the speaking in class, since I relied on lectures and note-taking which requires recall and memory. The notes were written on the whiteboard, so there was no real interaction with the students. It was a “sit and still” and “talk and whiteboard” setup.  I have realized that communication is not limited to merely speaking and listening, but also includes viewing, use of technology and writing. I needed to focus equally on the different modes of communication as well as incorporate more student choice. I embarked on a journey by engaging students in goal setting exercises , promoted collaborative learning and adopted inquiry based learning. These allowed students to take ownership of their education while encouraging curiosity and critical thinking.

Every modern educator knows that students learn in different ways. The learning styles include visual, auditory, linguistic and body kinesthetic. Engaging in reflective practice, I realized that my pedagogical strategies focused heavily on the linguistic intelligence. In order to address my students learning styles, I drew on Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences to correct this imbalance. I would included strategies to allow students to acquire their knowledge through spatial (technology including power point presentations, videos and films) ,bodily- kinesthetic (role play, drama), group work (interpersonal) and songs (musical). Since assessment is important to the teaching/learning process. I made use of traditional tests which includes multiple choice, true and false, short responses and essays as part of my assessment strategy. I now include more authentic assessment which would now be reflective of the different learning styles and intelligences. I strategies such as graphic organizers (concept maps and flow charts) and exhibition and creative performance such as (drama, art work, song and oral presentations). In the

As we exist in a multicultural society, students come from varying backgrounds and therefore are socialized differently. I acknowledge the importance of creating an inclusive and supportive classroom environment. By integrating diverse perspectives into the curriculum and recognizing the cultural backgrounds of my students, I strive to cultivate an atmosphere that values each student's unique identity and encourage a sense of belonging. There are students with a deep history in the school in terms of name recognition and wealth. The men in the family all attended the school. These students seem more comfortable and settle down faster than students without this history.

Some of these students struggle to find a place for themselves in the school. I may inadvertently treat some students differently to others, and this could also have an impact on their learning. I need to provide an environment of social inclusion, where groups (comprising of different ethnicities) are organized and leaders appointed on a rotational basis. Give everyone a chance to lead and to know one another. This is one way of reducing the inequality that exists. English lends itself to social inclusion, because the students learn and at times participate in the cultures of different ethnic groups. To reinforce this, groups can make presentations on the contributions of different ethnic groups to T&T. In recognizing that holistic development does not only involve intellectual growth but also acquisition of life skills, I realized that my classroom practice may not have consistently addressed this aspect. To remedy this, I incorporated activities that allowed students to reflect on and learn from their own family histories, prompting a deeper understanding of themselves and their place in the world.




Copyright 2023 © Lana.S

Comments