As a learning coach I speak to my students every week. We go through the week together. I ask them what they are proud of or what obstacles they have encountered. By asking the right questions I hope to give them insight into their own actions and behaviors, but sometimes we also just talk about that new pair of shoes or last Saturday’s football game. This way our students get the attention they deserve.
Learning to work together is an important goal in my lessons. Although I know that the assignment is sometimes easier if they are allowed to create groups themselves, I find it interesting to put students who do not interact with each other in a group. This way they can learn from each other’s differences or find out that they have more in common than they thought.
As a drama and ckv teacher, I am always busy creating new teaching material together with my section. Teaching material that is in line with our students, but which at the same time challenges them to think further than they are used to. Teaching material in which there is a good balance between theory and practice. We want to stimulate their creativity and curiosity and let them experience that creativity is a skill that is also very important outside the arts.
School is a place to learn, but obviously there are plenty of students who don’t like learning. Although school does not have to be an amusement park, it is up to us to make learning more enjoyable. By looking critically at your own teaching materials, making students aware of what they are learning and opening the conversation about why they learn this, I think more success experiences are celebrated!