The importance of the time spent in the classroom by students cannot be ignored. Those are opportunities for learning that must be taken advantage of. During which, students should be given all the chances to pick up as much as they can. But how can we improve a kid’s learning style to make the most of learning time and boost student collaboration? GnewsSports
What Is Learning Time?
Learning time refers to the amount of time that learners spend on a task. It is the time that they are engaged in learning. There are different ways that learning time can be measured. First off, there is the official allotted time. A school may have allotted hours for studying science, for example. Then there is the time-on-task. It’s the amount of time that the learner is actively listening to a teacher and attempting to perform tasks.
How to Maximize Learning Time and Boost Student
Successful teachers are the ones who manage to make the most out of the learning time of their students. They find ways to minimize the wasted time inside their classrooms. Here are the top strategies that teachers can use to maximize the learning time of their students.
Better Planning
This one goes without saying. Without a clear plan, nothing can be achieved. Without a good plan, the learning time of students can go to waste. Without a clear plan to follow, a teacher will be unable to keep all of the students busy and engaged. They are not going to learn that much from such a setup.
Some might think that having a plan for every minute inside the classroom is a bit too much, but it is actually better than not being prepared at all.
Shield the Students Away from Distractions
There are plenty of distractions inside the classroom during learning time. Those distractions can prevent students from picking up what they should be learning from the lessons. For example, the children might start fighting or there could be a visitor.
There is no lack of distractions in the classroom, and you can never eliminate all of them. Eliminating distractions shouldn’t be the goal.
Instead, what you should aim for is to minimize and buffer the distractions.
A teacher can keep a journal on which all of the distractions can be written down during a one-week or even a two-week period. Then, after the period, the teacher can go through the list of distractions and decide which ones can be stopped and which ones can be minimized.
Make Classroom Procedures Smoother
Classroom procedures are the ways by which the classroom operates. It determines whether the classroom will be operating efficiently or not. For teachers to maximize their students’ learning time, they need to develop classroom procedures that are efficient and actually consider how students learn.
There should be procedures even for routine activities like sharpening pencils or forming groups. The procedures should also aim at making those activities more fun for the students.
Freedom from Free Time
Students love it when teachers give them free time, but the truth is that teachers use it when they’re not prepared. They tend to use their free time when they don’t have anything for their students. While the students actually love their free time, it’s not the best thing for them. Teachers should make an effort not to use free time.
Make Transitions Quick
Transitions in the classroom happen when switching from one lesson to another. There is always a time between the end of one component and the beginning of the new one. That time can be short or long, depending on the teacher. Teachers should try to make the transitions as smooth as possible.
Give Clear and Fun Directions
Teachers must give clear, fun, and concise instructions to students. The instructions should be easy to understand and follow. At the same time, students should enjoy following the instructions. It’s easier for students to do tasks when they are having fun.
These are just some of the proven techniques on how to maximize learning time for students.
How to Boost Student Collaboration
Student collaboration is a powerful learning tool. It’s helpful not just for learning the lesson on hand but for mastering social skills as well.
Here are some methods that can be used for boosting collaboration:
- Select the groupings so students with complementary strengths and weaknesses can work together.
- Make sure that the groups are of the right size.
- Teach students to listen to each other. Some might not be used to listening and obeying their fellow students.
- Make the expectations clear to everyone.
- Assign roles to the members of the group and make sure that everyone has a job to do.
Changing a kid’s learning style to maximize learning time and boost student collaboration can yield great results. The strategies outlined in this article are all aimed at both goals. Teachers and school admins should take them into consideration and try to implement them in their schools. GameshdTV