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MAXIMISING STUDENT SUCCESS

Sujatha Girish

„Education is not filling of a pail, but lighting of a fire.‟

- WB Yeats

Education is not loading a student‟s young mind with loads of information;

instead, it should aim at igniting the hidden instinct in the child which will become a

bright beacon in the path of his success.

It‟s time now for a change in the concept of Education. It‟s the need of the hour to

revolutionize the system of education so as to maximize the student success. The present

day educators must realize that a student‟s success cannot be measured in terms of

academic performance alone; memorization of the curriculum content; effective

recollection and reproduction of the same in the exams is not the purpose of education.

Maximizing students‟ success must become the mantra/ the goal of every

educational institution so that we, today‟s educators can present a confident and

successful youth tomorrow and the current generation of students can emerge as the most

productive resource of the nation. Also, it‟s important for the school heads and educators

to realize that the success of any Educational Institution is directly proportionate to the

success of students.

As the Junior Wing Headmistress of Daffodils English School, Bengaluru, one of

the major challenges I face is, „heterogeneous nature‟ of class rooms. The school

embraces students admitted through RTE category and the NRI students with equal ease

and grace. The teachers take utmost care not to discriminate the underprivileged students

and try to bring them on par with the main stream of students. Though a challenging task,

it is definitely not an impossible one. Through various trial and error methods, we have

achieved an enviable position; received parents‟ appreciation and acknowledgement.

Through this prestigious forum, I would like to share the secret of our success in

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maximizing the students‟ success, based on my experience as the academic head handling

the students of Pre-primary and Primary classes. We have been able to do so, by focusing

on the following arenas of academics.

I - IMPROVED INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES:

The Instructional Practices (IP) are the teaching strategies employed by the teachers to

engage the students in the teaching-learning activity. The IP followed by the teachers in

classrooms play a pivotal role in effectiveness of the teaching – learning process. A

teacher may be very knowledgeable, but if he/ she cannot use appropriate instructional

practices, he/she will not be able to transfer his/her knowledge to the students

successfully.

Many a times a vast communication gap exists in the classrooms due to lack of

apt and precise Instructional practices. The educators need to bridge this gap by ensuring

that instructions given to the students are well received and perceived in the right sense.

They need to do cater to the needs of the students‟ mindset by improving the IP to reach

out to all students. It is significant for teachers to employ a variety of IP to accommodate

student diversity in the classrooms. Implementation of effective instructional practices

support student learning. If the IP are improvised, they can be applied across content

areas as well as in the area of behavior.

“Student engagement is one of the most well-established predictors of

Achievement, when students are more engaged in academic instruction they

tend to have academic and social success.”

Source: Preventing School Failure; Alternative Education for Children and Youth

Volume, Issue, 2015

If the IP employed by the teachers are effective, it adds not only to the academic success

but also to the social success leading to the holistic development of the students. To

increase student engagement and attainment, the following aspects must be kept in mind

while choosing the IP.

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Simplicity of language:

Usage of simple language with good voice modulation enables the pupils to understand

the content taught in an easy manner. Usage of flowery language, too many idioms,

metaphors….etc, will be appropriate while teaching language and literature. It will

definitely be a hindrance in the comprehension of other subjects.

Likewise, Science and Mathematics must be taught with precision. Teaching and learning

of Humanities discipline is fun filled, if it is explained with relevance to realities of life.

Example: The concept of democracy can be introduced in IV standard, using election

procedure to select the class leader.

The complexity of the topic:

The teachers need to follow different instructional strategies depending on the complexity

of the topics. The difficult topics need to be dealt slowly without rushing. It is mandatory

to pause periodically and quiz the students to assess if they have understood. If some

pupils are unable to answer, then teacher must, by repeat the instructions a couple of

times, to ensure that the pupils understand the content taught. The IP implemented must

vary depending upon the academic content, instructional content and student

characteristics of each class. At times the teacher may have to use different kinds of

instructional practices to teach the same concept to reach out to the students.

Element of Humor:

As Black and William point out, “Learning is driven by what teacher and pupils do in

classrooms.” (1998)

Sprinkle the spice of humor generously in the classrooms. An anecdote or a joke shared

by a student /teacher can break the monotony of the classrooms and create wonders. It

also adds to the Happiness Quotient, Emotional Quotient and the Social Quotient of the

students.

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Association with Gestures/ formula:

When the teachers use gestures to teach difficult concepts, the pupils are able register

them in a better way. I would like to put forth two case studies to substantiate my

statement.

Case study 1:

As a part of training and grooming of the new teaching staff, I go for regular class

observations. Whenever I feel the IP employed is ineffective, I step in and try to

demonstrate an appropriate IP, so as to train the teacher and also to make the concepts

clear to the students. During my one such class observation in II standard, the teacher

introduced the concept of fractions and the terms „numerator‟ and „denominator‟. Then

the teacher asked a few questions to the students to assess their understanding of the

concepts. I realized that the students were not clear about the terms, numerator and

denominator. They were able to recognize fractions but failed to identify the numerator

and denominator. The plain theoretical explanation given by the teacher was

unsuccessful, as the young minds could not grasp the difference between the two terms. I

tried a simple instructional strategy.

I used ‘thumps up’ gesture to indicate the numerator and ‘thumps down’ gesture

to indicate the denominator. The students found it an easy method. I wrote many fractions

on the black board using blue chalk to write numerator and pink chalk to write the

denominator in all the fractions. When the students were asked to identify the numerator,

they would show „thumps up‟ gesture and tell the number in the upper part of the

fraction. Likewise, when the students were asked to identify the denominator, they would

show „thumps down‟ gesture and say the number in the lower part of the fraction. After a

few examples the whole class in chorus was able to recognize the numerator and

denominator.

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The above case studies reflect that, a teacher has to be resourceful to think out of

the box to make the classes interesting and effective. Only then the students can

understand the lessons taught which will contribute to their success.

Case study 2:

Teaching of grammar concepts for primary class students can be extremely challenging if

one is not equipped with appropriate instructional practices. The English teacher had

completed teaching of all the parts of speech in IV standard. I was present in the class for

class observation. When the teacher asked, “How many parts of speech are there?” the

students would together say „eight‟ in a sing song tone. When the next question, “Which

are they?” followed, they would look baffled! It was clearly evident that they were unable

to recollect all the parts of speech at a time. The teacher tried to help them by prompting.

They were able to say one by one with her. When they were asked to answer on their

own, again they would give lost look!

It was time for me to step in again. To make it convenient for the students to

remember the parts of speech, I as an English teacher had designed a formula which had

always worked very well. I tried teaching the same formula, which is as given below.

A2P

2 VINC

A2- stands for adjective and adverb,

P2 -stands for pronoun and preposition,

V- stands for verb,

I - stands for interjection

N- stands for noun and

C- stands for conjunction

It worked. Revising the parts of speech has become a joyous activity now. When the

students repeat the so called formula and say VINC, they mischievously wink their eyes

too. It has now become a tradition in the school in English department to teach parts of

speech using a formula!

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Mind Maps/ Flow charts: Pictorial representation of any data/ content makes it more

appealing and interesting for students to learn and understand. The teachers can make use

of Mind Maps, Flow Charts and Tables to give information rather than regular format of

notes. Following are some of such pictorial representation formats used by the teachers in

our school to teach.

Sample subject: Social Studies

Standard: IV

Example 1: Representation of different states of North East region

Example 2: Tabular representation of different aspects of the given states

seven sisters of

North East India

Manipur

Meghalaya

Mizoram

Arunachal Pradesh

Assam

Nagaland

Tripura

State Capital Dance

Forms

Rivers Occupation Crops Festival

s

Languages

Jammu &

Kashmir

Srinagar Dumhal

Rouff

Jhelum

Farming

Handicrafts Saffron

Rajma

Rice

Maize

Vegetables

Fruits

Lohri Shivrathri

Id

Kashmiri

Urdu

Dogri

Ladakhi

Himachal

Pradesh

Shimla Himachali Chenab

Ravi

Beas

Sutlej

Yamuna

Farming

Handicraft

Sheep &

goat rearing

Rice

Barley

Maize

Plum

Apple

Pear

Dussehr

a

Hindi,

Pahari

Punjabi

Dogri

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Example 3: Representation of the given data in the form of a flow chart

Example 4: Flow chart to represent Coastal Plains

Example 5: Flow chart to represent details relevant to Religions in India

Parts of the Indian Plateau

Southern Plateau

Central Highlands

North-eastern Plateau

North-western Plateau

Chota Nagpur Plateau

Chattisgarh Plateau

Baster Plateau

Coastal Plains

western

Gujarat Konkan Malabar

eastern

Northern Circars Coromandel

1.Religions in India

2. Founders of the religions

3. Holy books

Hinduism

Rama, Krishna

Vedas, Puranas

Islam

Mohammed Prophet

Quran

Christianity

Jesus Christ

Bible

Parsi

Zoraster

Zend Avesta

Buddhism

Buddha

Tripitikas

Jainism

Mahavira

Kalpa Sutra

Sikhism

Guru Nanak

Guru Granth Sahib

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To put in a nutshell, the teachers should be resourceful enough to improvise The IP as per

the needs of their students so that the knowledge imparted by them is absorbed by the

students successfully.

Let‟s remember, if an egg breaks open naturally, it is the beginning of a new life;

if it is broken forcefully, it is the end of life.

BEST PRACTICES IN INSTRUCTION:

According to Classroom Instruction that Works, nine instructional strategies have the

greatest positive impact on student learning. They include:

identifying similarities and differences

summarizing and note-taking

reinforcing effort and providing recognition

homework and practice

non-linguistic representations

cooperative learning

setting objectives and providing feedback

generating and testing hypotheses

questions, cues, and advance organizers

II - UPDATED PEDAGOGY:

Another important aspect which contributes towards maximizing the student success is

Pedagogy. Pedagogy in simple words is the art of teaching.

“If we are teaching the children today what we were taught yesterday,

then we are robbing them of tomorrow.”

- John Dewey

The educators must constantly make an effort to update the content of curriculum

as well as the approach towards it. It is mandatory to update the Pedagogy to maximize

the success of the students. Employing of outdated teaching techniques will drain away

the students‟ interest and enthusiasm to learn, creating a mental barrier in the teaching-

learning process.

There are 150 teaching methodologies which are being successfully used by the

educators across the globe. They are as enlisted below:

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150 TEACHING METHODOLOGIES

1. Lecture by teacher

2. Class discussion conducted by teacher

3. Recitation oral questions by teacher answered orally by students

4. Discussion groups conducted by selected student chairpersons

5. Lecture-demonstration by teacher

6. Lecture-demonstration by another instructor(s) from a special field

(guest speaker)

7. Presentation by a panel of instructors or students

8. Presentations by student panels from the class: class invited to

participate

9. Student reports by individuals

10. Student-group reports by committees from the class

11. Debate (informal) on current issues by students from class

12. Class discussions conducted by a student or student committee

13. Forums

14. Bulletin boards

15. Small groups such as task oriented, discussion, Socratic

16. Choral speaking

17. Collecting

18. Textbook assignments

19. Reading assignments in journals monographs, etc.

20. Reading assignments in supplementary books

21. Assignment to outline portions of the textbook

22. Assignment to outline certain supplementary readings

23. Debates (formal)

24. Crossword puzzles

25. Cooking foods of places studied

26. Construction of vocabulary lists

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27. Vocabulary drills

28. Diaries

29. Dances of places or periods studied

30. Construction of summaries by students

31. Dressing dolls

32. Required term paper

33. Panel discussion

34. Biographical reports given by students

35. Reports on published research studies and experiments by students

36. Library research on topics or problems

37. Written book reports by students

38. Flags

39. Jigsaw puzzle maps

40. Hall of Fame by topic or era (military or political leaders, heroes)

41. Flannel boards

42. Use of pretest

43. Gaming and simulation

44. Flash cards

45. Flowcharts

46. Interviews

47. Maps, transparencies, globes

48. Mobiles

49. Audio-tutorial lessons (individualized instruction)

50. Models

51. Music

52. Field trips

53. Drama, role playing

54. Open textbook study

55. Committee projects--small groups

56. Notebook

57. Murals and montages

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58. Class projects

59. Individual projects

60. Quizdown gaming

61. Modeling in various media

62. Pen pals

63. Photographs

64. Laboratory experiments performed by more than two students working

together

65. Use of dramatization, skits, plays

66. Student construction of diagrams, charts, or graphs

67. Making of posters by students

68. Students drawing pictures or cartoons vividly portray principles or

facts

69. Problem solving or case studies

70. Puppets

71. Use of chalkboard by instructor as aid in teaching

72. Use of diagrams, tables, graphs, and charts by instructor in teaching

73. Use of exhibits and displays by instructor

74. Reproductions

75. Construction of exhibits and displays by students

76. Use of slides

77. Use of filmstrips

78. Use of motion pictures, educational films, videotapes

79. Use of theater motion pictures

80. Use of recordings

81. Use of radio programs

82. Use of television

83. Role playing

84. Sand tables

85. School affiliations

86. Verbal illustrations: use of anecdotes and parables to illustrate

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87. Service projects

88. Stamps, coins, and other hobbies

89. Use of community or local resources

90. Story telling

91. Surveys

92. Tutorial: students assigned to other students for assistance, peer

teaching

93. Coaching: special assistance provided for students having difficulty in

the course

94. Oral reports

95. Word association activity

96. Workbooks

97. Using case studies reported in literature to illustrate psychological

principles and facts

98. Construction of scrapbooks

99. Applying simple statistical techniques to class data

100. Time lines

101. "Group dynamics" techniques

102. Units of instruction organized by topics

103. Non directive techniques applied to the classroom

104. Supervised study during class period

105. Use of sociometric text to make sociometric analysis of class

106. Use of technology and instructional resources

107. Open textbook tests, take home tests

108. Put idea into picture

109. Write a caption for chart, picture, or cartoon

110. Reading aloud

111. Differentiated assignment and homework

112. Telling about a trip

113. Mock convention

114. Filling out forms (income tax, checks)

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115. Prepare editorial for school paper

116. Attend council meeting, school board meeting

117. Exchanging „things‟

118. Making announcements

119. Taking part (community elections)

120. Playing music from other countries or times

121. Studying local history

122. Compile list of older citizens as resource people

123. Students from abroad (exchange students)

124. Obtain free and low cost materials

125. Collect old magazines

126. Collect colored slides

127. Visit an "ethnic" restaurant

128. Specialize in one country

129. Follow a world leader (in the media)

130. Visit an employment agency

131. Start a campaign

132. Conduct a series

133. Investigate a life

134. Assist an immigrant

135. Volunteer (tutoring, hospital)

136. Prepare an exhibit

137. Detect propaganda

138. Join an organization

139. Collect money for a cause

140. Elect a "Hall of Fame" for males

141. Elect a "Hall of Fame" for females

142. Construct a salt map

143. Construct a drama

144. Prepare presentation for senior citizen group

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145. Invite senior citizen(s) to present local history to class including

displaying artifacts (clothing, tools, objects, etc.)

146. Prepare mock newspaper on specific topic or era

147. Draw a giant map on floor of classroom

148. Research local archaeological site

149. Exchange program with schools from different parts of the state

150. In brainstorming small group, students identify a list of techniques

and strategies that best fit their class.

Source: teaching.uncc.edu/learning_resources/….methods/150_teaching_methods

Along with the above mentioned Pedagogy styles, the teachers in our

school have been employing many more interesting teaching methods.

Some of them are:

MULTI-TEACHERS APPROACH

A group of teachers take up different sub topics of the same chapter and engage

the class. The children get an opportunity to experience teaching of many teachers

of the same subject. It is generally conducted in the AV room using audio-visual

aids. All the sections students come together for this class which adds excitement

to such session.

Computer Science, General Science and Social Studies have been taught

using this methodology for III and IV standard students.

The pre- primary teachers and I and II standard teachers use this methodology for

all the subjects. Audio-visual aids are an added attraction for the toddlers.

LEARNING BY DOING

There is a famous saying:

I hear...I forget;

I see...I remember;

I do…I understand.

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The students are made to understand the new concepts by practically

doing it. Be it the activity of viewing the objects through the microscope in the

classroom or making the model of a clock to understand the minutes hand and

seconds hand…the students exhibit amazing enthusiasm at I and II standard

levels. The III and IV standard kids are taken to the laboratory to witness the

science experiments and are made to prepare charts/models to reflect the

understanding of their concepts.

The pre-primary kids bring fruits/vegetables to learn about them. They

plant the saplings to learn about the parts of a plant and watch them grow in the

garden of Daffodils.

POWER POINT PRESENTATION

The students feel empowered with technology and proudly present their

own PPTs and explain the same with eloquence and confidence.

It permits them to take the class beyond the boundary of the text books. It is also a

way of employing „cooperative learning methodology‟.

ROLE PLAY WITH DRAMATIZATION

It is a methodology liked by the students of all the age groups. They play

the role of different characters, dressed up in the costumes; and enact the role of

the characters assigned to them. The classroom transforms into an activity center.

WORKSHEET

It is an effective teaching tool used to reinforce the classroom lessons at

all levels and all subjects. It is also used as an activity sheet and displayed on the

bullet-in board to acknowledge the children‟s good work and encourage them.

It replaces the home work note books, reducing the weight of the school

bags. It is inclusive of puzzles, „Multiple Intelligence Questions‟, Mind

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Maps…etc, making it picturesque. It is designed to be child –centric. The students

solve it with pleasure, without complaining.

DELPHI CIRCLE

In this methodology, the class gets an informal ambience. Sometimes it is

conducted outdoors to break the monotony of a regular classroom. The students

sit in a circle with the teacher and exchange information and ideas. It is used for

the students of all the age groups.

Other than the above mentioned, many methodologies like interviewing

the parents, action song, dramatization, anchoring of the programmes, spell bee,

various types of dictations…etc are used while teaching the subjects as well as

languages.

MULTIMEDIA APPROACH

The world of education is equally getting influenced by „Technology Invasion‟.

Though Digital teaching cannot substitute a teacher, it definitely complements

teaching. An animated phonetic song impresses the young minds and the process

of photosynthesis is imprinted in the student‟s mind, when the teacher explains it

with the aid of audio-visual tool.

The teachers integrate the audio-visual aids like slide shows using the

projectors, the relevant modules available on the „smart boards‟ and the videos on

you tube using the „I pads‟. Since the school campus is technologically equipped

with Wi-Fi network, it enables the teachers to access information easily at any

given time.

An interesting strategy has been adopted by the teachers to give notes in

III and IV standards. They upload the typed notes and display the same on the

smart boards. It enables the teachers to monitor the students‟ activities and

supervise their writing skills simultaneously.

It works as a wonder tool to teach picture compositions and to enhance the

listening skills of the students.

Some of the class room activities / the teaching methodologies employed

by the teachers are illustrated:

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Presentations by student panels from the class

Interviews

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Choral Speaking by students

Making of posters by students

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Role playing

Dramatization

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Individual report by Student

“Group dynamics" techniques

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III - Effective Assessment:

Assessing the students in the „right way‟ is the key to success of the students.

Assessments must be effective to ensure the progress of the students. It should be a

measure to determine the students‟ success and not undermine their abilities.

The major problems in the existing assessment system are:

It creates „Exam Fear‟.

It is memory and recollecting ability oriented.

It is not application based most of the rimes.

It is entirely „Academics based‟.

The students with excellent skills barring the writing skills are always at a

loss.

The students‟ talents and special abilities are not taken into consideration at

all.

It demands for tremendous involvement of parents at primary levels.

RTE students find it a tough nut to crack.

It does not cater to „slow learners‟ needs; they end up becoming slower.

It can damage the children with low IQ levels, emotionally and make them

Under confident.

To address the above problems and the concerns shared by working parents who

are unable to give the kind of time required to prepare a child constantly for assessments,

We have taken several measures which have been contributing well towards the success

of the students. We do not follow the conventional method of assessment which lays

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more emphasis on the writing skills of the students. The assignments are a balanced

combination of written work and other skills of the students.

The „Multiple Intelligence Theory’, which was developed by eminent

educationist „Howard Gardener’, Ph.D., professor of Education at Harvard University

is a boon and an apt solution to the problems of assessment system. According to this

theory, there are eight different kinds of intelligences (competencies).

A pictorial chart of the same with the description of the eight Intelligences/

competencies is illustrated below.

Source: Theory of multiple intelligences _ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia_ files

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We design the assessments keeping the MI theory in mind. The child is assessed based on

his intelligence kind to boost his morale. Integration of „Continuous Comprehensive

Evaluation system‟ is a blessing in disguise for teachers.

The 4 Formative Assessments (FA) are a combination of written activities and

oral activities which are application based and MI oriented which can evaluate the

competencies of the students.

Example 1: FA; Subject: English; Standard: III

Written Activity: Worksheet with paragraph writing (Verbal Intelligence) and

Picture composition (Spatial Intelligence)

Questions, Annotations (Verbal Intelligence)

Oral Activity: Narrate your experience of your visit to a park (Naturalist Intelligence)

Recitation of a poem with action (Bodily/kinesthetic Intelligence)

Example 2: FA; Subject: Science; Standard: IV

Written Activity: Worksheet with Questions to be answered (Verbal Intelligence) and

Completion of Mind Maps/ Flow Charts (Spatial Intelligence)

Oral Activity: Role Play of a plant (Bodily/kinesthetic Intelligence)

(SAS) Smart Class Assessment System, (Intrapersonal Intelligence), in

which the students answer the multiple choice questions displayed on the

smart boards, using the „remote controllers‟ handed over to each of the

students.

Example 3: FA; Subject: Social Studies; Standard: III

Written Activity: Worksheet with Questions to be answered (Verbal Intelligence) and

Identification of pictures /marking on the maps (Spatial Intelligence)

Oral Activity: Student explains the given topic using a chart / a model

(Bodily /kinesthetic Intelligence)

(SAS) Smart Class Assessment System, (Intrapersonal Intelligence)

Example 4: FA; Subject: mathematics; Standard: II

Written Activity: Worksheet with sums to be solved (Logical Intelligence) and

Completion of pattern based questions (Spatial Intelligence)

Oral Activity: Mental Math questions (Logical Intelligence)

(SAS) Smart Class Assessment System, (Intrapersonal Intelligence)

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The students are assessed based on the above activities conducted during the

regular classes in an informal atmosphere to help them overcome the exam fear. Since the

assessments are conducted as a routine activity, the students answer them effortlessly.

SAS is a fun-filled activity for them, rather than a form of assessment.

The students also have the option of choosing the kind of activity for

assessments, based on their MI.

The Summative Assessments (SA) are designed to be scoring for the students.

They are based on the written exam, oral activity, projects and internal assessment, which

will be awarded based on the child‟s participation in the classroom activities.

A few examples of the projects are illustrated below.

Example 1.Subject: English; Standard: III

Project: Collage making on famous authors

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Example 2:.Subject: Science; Standard: IV

Project: Preparation of „Leaves Herbarium‟

Example 2:.Subject: Mathematics; Standard: IV

Project: Preparation of „Factor Trees‟

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Conclusion:

The schools must realize the importance of the above mentioned three primary aspects to

Maximize the success of the students which in turn will lead to the success of the

institutions. The strength of any institution lies on a tripod constituted by,

1. The parents and the students

2. The teaching fraternity and

3. The school management and academic heads

These three entities must collaborate and work hand in hand to climb the ladder of

success and reach the goals set. We follow the following strategies to do so.

Keep the parents informed, and constantly update them through online sharing

system. Periodic parents‟ - teachers‟ interactions are mandatory.

To enrich the teaching domain, frequent in- service programmes in the form

of workshops, interactive seminars by eminent speakers, conducted for the

staff throughout the academic session.

The school management provides all the infrastructure required and through

the academic heads enforces „Quality Teaching- Learning Process‟ in the

school.

“The task of modern education is not to cut down the jungles, but to irrigate

deserts.”

- C.S.Lewis

References:

buildingrti.utexas.org/rti/effective_instruction

www.tpsnva.org/files/Essential practices of High Quality Teaching and Learning

www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/1045988x2014.919136

www.hopkinton.k12.ma.us/domain/150

Teaching.uncc.edu/learning_resources/….methods/150_teaching_methods

Theory of multiple intelligences _ wikipedia, the free encyclopedia_ files