How do I best characterize the learning environment at my school or in my classroom?

 

How do I best characterize the learning environment at my school or in my classroom?

Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

Presently, I am teaching twelfth-standard students in one of the higher secondary schools in my country. We follow the curriculum based on Bhutan Baccalaureate (BB) which is similar to IB. Although we follow 21^st-century strategies to make learning effective, things always don’t work well due to various reasons. It is because our learners come from varied cultural backgrounds and are sometimes neglected (Larrivee, 2000) and some are hesitant to talk in the classroom because they are shy. But, we continuously encourage learners to engage in understanding what they are doing during the process of learning through various means. Our curriculum is based on the “learning by doing” approach, in which students are mostly engaged in defining their knowledge out of what they are doing at par with the content they are using as a medium.  

The learning environment I believe in my school is appropriate at par with the 21^st-century school. We believe that teaching doesn’t simply mean teaching content for academic excellence. It should facilitate learners through varied learning processes to make them lifelong learners (Moss, 2017). Thus, learning according to me is something that ultimately leads to the transformation of an individual in becoming a complete human being. It includes real-time experience and continuous educational processes that foster capacity building and mindful growth in preparing an individual to face the challenges ahead in life.

In line with my philosophy of learning and as per our curriculum, we help our learners realize the social, spiritual, emotional, physical, and cerebral (Five areas of Development as per BB) needs of the learners through differentiated instructions. Learners simply don’t learn the content in the classroom, but we let them learn to be socially efficient and culturally sound so that in the future they can address any forms of the social tenor of society when they become adults (Shawal, n.d.) based on the needs today. In my classroom, I mostly engage my students, creating a variety of learning environments that challenge them so that they can achieve the desired learning experiences. My students are encouraged to observe, practice, and teach others through peer evaluation and feedback systems to enhance their higher-order thinking skills because such involvement of the learners should be prioritized for their mental and physical well-being. My classroom is filled with critical thinkers because I always integrate it as a constituent of questioning, excelling mental habits, and eradicating false beliefs so that my learner can harness their ability to distinguish what is good and what is bad (Popova, n.d.). In contrast, due to the learner’s readiness to participate in the activities due to the lack of openness and shyness, we often face challenges in meeting the learning outcomes. Although we don’t have cultural barriers in my school, most learners come from broken or disruptive families but with the help of the school counselor and through motivating them, we somehow overcome such challenges during the process. We believe that motivation is the most important factor that influences learners. In addition, readiness, curiosity, ability, attitude, aptitude, peer influence, quality instructions, and culture are the most influential factors to a student’s learning process that every teacher should know.

Thus, the sole purpose of the teaching should prepare any individual for immediate life through self-realization (Shawal, n.d.). My philosophy says that any teaching and learning should transform the learners through self-realization for life, not simply to prepare them with the content knowledge. 

 

Reference

Larrivee, B. (2000). Transforming teaching practice: Becoming the critically reflective teacher. Reflective Practice, 1(2), 293-306. Retrieved August 8, 2021 from http://ed253jcu.pbworks.com/f/Larrivee_B_2000CriticallyReflectiveTeacher.pdf

Moss, G. (2017). Central Purpose of Teaching. Retrieved October 12, 2021 from https://teaching.usask.ca/articles/central-purpose-of-teaching.php#:~:text=Teaching%20aids%20the%20learning%20not,and%20physical%20attributes%20and%20limitations.

Popova. M. (n.d.). John Dewey on the True Purpose of Education and How to Harness the Power of Our Natural Curiosity. Retrieved October 12, 2021 from https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/09/19/john-dewey-purpose-of-education/

Shawal. M. (n.d.). John Dewey’s View on Education. Retrieved October 12, 2021 from https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/education/john-deweys-view-on-education/69149