Saturday, February 20, 2021

Shortcut Road to Classroom Transformation for Quality Instruction


Learning is best practiced by doing. As learning facilitator, the teacher does not only teach but guide learners to explore their learning experiences how it will be connected to the new world where they are living in.

There are schools that lack seating facilities and chalkboards. These are not the dominant factors that contribute much to the deteriorating quality instruction. 45 to 55 students per classroom are the standard size. The main target of the teacher is not to make them sit properly before the chalkboard and remain good listeners until the 50-minute period of nomenclatures like English, Science, Math and many other learning areas. Similarly, teacher should not act lecturer for that whole period.

What is the difference between teachers on the first day of seminars, trainings, orientation and workshops and those students on the first day of classes? There is no significant difference in terms of gaining or aiming for new knowledge, skills and capabilities. In seminars, teachers use tables and chairs. Learning facilitator uses projector for brief lecture and instruction what to do. The facilitator is surrounded with many materials ready for participants’ collaborative works and presentation of their outputs. The participants enjoy the whole day session though they are far away from their homes. Thus, teachers in the seminar learn a lot because the learning session is enjoyable, interesting, challenging and there is sense of belongingness. Grouping of participants breaks the big crowd into smaller one. The session hall seems empty of teacher in front where learner is afraid of committing mistake during sharing, participation, interaction and discussion during the activity. In that smaller group, poor or weak participant is assisted by co-members in the group. Every member is unknowingly encouraged and motivated to practice what strong one does. Everyone comes to realize that each of them is entitled to any opinion. A little idea being shared is very significant to form the whole idea to represent the group outputs.


Seating facilities could hardly suit for children but for adult. Children are always restless. Unlike adult, they remain steady. A child is fond of moving here and there. They are fond of making friends and groups for creativity and interesting works. They can manage themselves even without adult and act upon what they agree with one another. They can present themselves in front of their fellow children with shyness and hesitation. It is because they love their created works.

I wonder why teachers coming home from seminars can hardly adopt the learning situation they experienced in their respective classroom. They cannot utilize the four walls of the classroom for hanging and posting of learners’ outputs as a product of learning gained from the quality instruction facilitated by the teacher. It is only the wall where the chalkboard is attached that may be used for posting and presentation of learning outputs.


Lucky indeed are those classrooms lack of seating facilities and chalkboard. It is not truly congested for the group activities of learning. Learning facilitators and students have enough space for the preparation of collaborative works, sharing, brainstorming and posting, presentation and reporting of their shared-efforts. Grouping of learners is very effective to entice poor and weak learners work with others. It should always be remembered that everyone is to participate and interact with others in a smaller than in a bigger group.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)