In contemporary society, developments in the field of psychology have brought us a greater understanding of a person’s learning process, especially with students in a classroom. It has become increasingly clear to psychologists that children learn better if they are motivated. Thus, what a student learns is important, but how a student learns may even be more important. In my opinion, teachers can improve the learning environment by focusing on encouraging and motivating students, not just by being smart in a particular teaching subject.
To begin with, it is important to acknowledge that young people are naturally very emotional at their young age. This means students often respond to external stimuli in a strong manner, including whether or not they receive encouragement from teachers in the classroom. For example, during a math class, if a student answers a question correctly, the student will be highly motivated if the teacher provides a compliment, such as “Good job! You got it!” Indeed, acknowledging and recognizing a student’s achievement, no matter how big or small, can have a huge impact on that student’s academic performance.
Moreover, through encouragement and the use of motivating tools, teachers can connect and build trusting relationships with their students, fostering a healthy and friendly environment whereby students are motivated to want to know more and listen more to the teacher. In contrast, if a student is not recognized when he or she deserves the recognition, then resent could set in, and the teacher-student relationship is in jeopardy.
In conclusion, while qualifications and subject matter expertise are important for a teacher, the transfer of knowledge will be limited if students are not encouraged to learn. You need a big heart in order to develop little minds.