Of course I never want your students to fail, or your teaching to be anything less than exceptional. I put these observations forward so we can reflect on what sometimes goes wrong for a student or a teacher, identify our own contribution to it, and bring the remedy.
Increase pressure
When emotions go up, intelligence goes down. Years ago I read a book called Super Learning. The main point it reiterated is that in order to learn you have to be relaxed. The following points are a few of the ways we routinely increase pressure on students.
Restrict time
Given the above, if you would like to stress out your students, give them a restricted amount of time to do their work. I am by no means suggesting we hand out days upon days for an assignment. However, the classic test, designed to fit into a standard class period, is a recipe for stress, which increases pressure and lowers the quality of the results.
Constrain personal style
Some students speak well, some write well, others make compelling visual presentations with ease, creating engaging design in their own distinctive style. Each student has their own unique strengths. So rather than limiting their style, suggest a general guiding checklist, then have a conversation about how they would like to present, package, or inform you about their work. Yes, this takes a little more energy and individualization, but your students will appreciate it and thrive in the freedom. They learn how to tap into their communication strengths.
Be impersonal
We love being recognized for who we are. We get frustrated when people talk at us and do not listen, when they do not speak from their own experience, and when they treat us like machines. Once I was a student on a canoe instructor course. The leader was attempting to show us how to teach future participants the front stroke, a basic stroke for anyone who has canoed. Yet he treated us as if we did not know how to paddle at all. Within a few minutes the group of us, treated as if we knew nothing, stopped listening and started behaving childishly, splashing and bothering each other. I chalked it up to the instructor’s manner, which did not honour what we knew or who we were, and which led the group to less than ideal behaviour.
The point of these examples is to remember to be real with your students. Be honest with them. Let them know that you see them, that you understand their different styles and needs, and let them know who you are too. This results in mutual respect, lively discussions, and, in the end, better results for everyone.
Let us know your thoughts on the topic. It is an important conversation, one that brings both teachers and students into more mindful relationships that deliver better learning outcomes. At AVRO Academy, that is the everyday work of our small classes in midtown Toronto.