FOR EDUCATORS
Reward or punish the specific behavior. (Eg: I cannot accept that behaviour, Raju. I am happy about what you normally do. But NOT this time. (NOT: “You bad boy!”)
Criticize only if a practical solution is available and if you can pin point the corrective measure. (Eg: Instead of “Your handwriting is bad”, say something like: “If you pay a little extra attention while writing ‘l‘ and ‘e’, your handwriting might become more readable. Just try and see.”)
It is better NOT to make a remark that cannot be acted upon when the remark is negative.
Body language plays a significant role in direct communication. Become conscious of your body language until it flows naturally and in an effective manner. Organize your personal, physical and psychological environment to facilitate the flow of the intended message.
Become increasingly aware of your inhibitions and blocks. Use this awareness in a non-critical, but constructive way to manage yourself and your handicaps.
Use your understanding of Ego Interactions and Ego Defenses to refine yourself both professionally and personally and to foster better communication. Make sure to start with yourself before attempting to conclude about others. Also be aware that you can go wrong in your judgment about others, whatever expertise you may have. It is much safer and authentic to judge your own interactions and behaviour. However, if you try to understand your own mind for at least two to three months constantly, you will become much more capable to put yourself into the other person’s shoe.
Gather further details about Multiple Intelligences and make use of its possibilities in the classroom and learning situations.
While we tend to remember 90% of what we ‘see, hear, say and do’, only a negligible fraction of that can be retained through reading or listening to a lecture. Try multiple sensory approach and physical movement, wherever possible.
Processing of information goes through a magical effectiveness when auditory, visual and kinesthetic and other factors act together and stimulate thought and intuition.
Brain does NOT process information in a linear fashion and therefore linear notes are less natural and less effective. You can encourage students to use “mind-mapping” very effectively to sum up and supplement linear notes at the end of each chapter.
Memorization techniques, can improve retention capability by several fold. It is good to learn and practice them.
Whether we realize this or not, blind competition is usually destructive and self-defeating. A much better, more productive and less stressful approach is: “trying to do ones best” or turning one’s competitive spirit inward into oneself to excel.
Intra-group discussions cum short rests, is an effective way to consolidate learning in the classroom. Try this constructively.
Plan your sessions ahead of time: Always visualize clearly where you want to reach, where the class and you are currently and what methods and techniques would get to where you want to be.
It NOT teaching, but the final learning or the transfer of skills that takes place that really does matter. We need to focus all our energies on this point. Again, it is not transfer of information but transfer and development of skills and competencies that should distinguish poor instruction from good instruction and class delivery. After all, the whole purpose of teaching is to enable the student to do away with the teacher.