Learning is a process that brings a certain level of effort, let it be memorizing an elementary school topic, or understanding the advanced concepts of Quantum Physics.Every learner comes with his/her own unique abilities as well as the challenges faced in acquiring an acceptable learning experience.Even the most experienced teachers sometimes are unable to anticipate the learning barriers developing in the students. But there are ways to which you can contain and turn them into the student’s strengths.
In this blog post, we’re going to discuss the ways through which you can counter the learning barriers and provide students with an exceptional learning experience.
- Explain the context and relevance
One of the most common learning barriers is when there is no proper and relevant connection of students with the topic being taught. Connecting the subject material with something practical calls for a real learning for the student.For instance, whenever planning the lesson of a particular topic, ask if the topic can be related to some applications students may typically encounter outside the school. The application should be easily recognizable, or better if it aligns with the students’ personal interest, this will result in a powerful learning experience.
If nothing specific comes to mind, try to come up with tasks and activities students would be performing after deploying the skills and knowledge gained. The point is to teach the subject material in a way that comprehends well with the interest and excitement to learn something new and beneficial.
- Question and assets on regular basis
The sole purpose of incorporating interesting activities and creative assessment techniques is to keep students engaged. Questioning is often the most neglected step in the learning process. Constantly reflecting our learning during the whole process locates the gaps that need to be filled as well as the spots becoming our greatest leaps in the education.Due to this reason, it is highly advised that students should regularly display their learning or knowledge retention either individually or in groups.
When we talk about assessments, teachers have a number of options to cater any lesson in this regard. Formative assessment activities are powerful tools that acknowledge what students are acquiring and what they don’t. Furthermore, conducting assessments on regular basis ensure the students are gaining the understanding of the subject in a comprehensive manner, hence, overcoming their learning barrier and registering enhanced individual performance.
- Use the right language
Unsurprisingly, instructors may hear, “I can’t do this” several times over the course of their teaching tenure, and the instance is most common in complex topics. A big learning barrier to deal! However, no matter how difficult the topic is, the trick is to always use the right language.
For example, encourage the students to add “yet” in each of their “I can’t do this” claim.Rather than stopping at a learning process dead-end, the usage of the right words will open the doors for alternate solutions and motivation to overcome the barrier. The concern is to drag the learner out of the negative mindset and build the confidence to proceed further.
Besides that, providing the right feedback is also equally important. Feedbacks have an impact far greater than we can imagine in the student’s grooming. Simply speaking, a feedback has the power to allow or disallow the student in gaining some life learning skills.
- Fabricate and provide opportunities
Dedicating the whole lesson or topic to an important and life-influencing topic is simply not a thing any teacher should do. Given the emphasis on the importance and power of lifetime lessons, there is much more than that. Even the greatest and most experienced teachers consider themselves as a student for life, learning newer things with each passing day.The same concept applies to your students as well, where you need to create them opportunities with passion. Considering themselves as lifelong learners, it’s all about providing students with the opportunities in order to break their learning barriers.
Additionally, teachers are required to give their students ample learning chances and assessment activities to achieve their goals. Instructors are supposed to understand that students come with their own personal issues along with the bulk of the subject material. The instructor should identify the instances where they can afford to show some leniency and the moment where clever tactics go best in helping them learn some critical skills.
One best way to do this is by spending some extra minutes with them after the class. You can also make them solve a sample exam in free time to cover up for their missed classes. Missing even the shortest topics can potentially turn out to be the biggest learning barriers throughout the academic term.For example, missing the class of “the concept of limits in differentiation” will most probably make you struggle to stay head-to-head with the further classes of calculus, hence a paramount learning barrier in a seemingly evil mathematics course.
- Provide guidance and step aside
Helping the student in overcoming his/her learning barriers also means entrusting them in finding their own way. An effective teaching approach involves the primary presence of the teacher to guide the learners through the most appropriate style, but once you’re done, step aside and let the learners explore further. Agreeably, they will stumble and struggle in the process without a doubt, but letting them invent themselves will only serve to build self-confidence and utilize their strengths.
Also, avoid rushing to their aid at every such instance. The point is to coach them from the sideline, without actually stepping in the field. This will force them to think in ways they must not have recognized before. You can start by asking them the below questions, hence encouraging them to think indifferently and out-of-the-box.
- What is your thought for this?
- Where do you plan to head from this point?
- Where else have you encountered this problem?
- Does this issue associate or relate with something?
- Can you use your existing skill set to tackle the issue?
- Are there any past experiences that can help you in this regard?
What is the takeaway?
The above 5 tips aim to help teachers in overcoming the students’ barriers, only through the sole element of belief. The belief is what will instil the courage to make the change happen in them. The fear of failure is a failure in itself, and overcoming the learning barriers is what accounts for fighting such fears and progress through the never-ending learning in life with relentless passion and thirst to elevate oneself.
Author Bio
Michelle Carlson is an accomplished M.Ed. and has the experience of working in the education industry for the last decade. Besides her passion for helping students in understanding the modernized classrooms and learning dynamics, Michelle is also an experienced content writing service provider registering a plethora of academic disciplines in her expertise.
