Introduction
Classroom interactions must be properly developed and understood by all participants, including teachers and students. However, despite an attempt to create a positive working environment, some difficulties are unavoidable in the learning process. Students are not eager to learn the material for personal reasons, which results in a low level of trust and cooperation. Teachers need to be ready to monitor student progress, promote learning, and apply effective motivation and engagement strategies in the classroom.
Reasons and Examples
There are many reasons why students do not follow teachers’ recommendations and require more attention. According to Lodge et al. (2018), emotion plays a critical role in knowledge integration and distribution. For example, if a student feels anxious about a new math concept, it is hard for a teacher to achieve cooperation and understanding quickly. Still, other issues like family incomes, poor time management, or health problems might affect student success. Specific steps and evaluations are necessary to monitor and promote student learning and increase student motivation and engagement.
How Does an Effective Teacher Pace Instruction to Monitor and Promote Student Learning?
Although not all teachers recognize this, most of them strive to become the most effective in their fields. To achieve this purpose, Woolfolk and Hoy (2013) identify several characteristics like “clarity, enthusiasm, and warmth” (p. 194). It is not enough for teachers to avoid vagueness or give some explanations. It is important to create a plan for clarity and stick to it during each lesson. Besides, an effective teacher should remember the worth of enthusiasm and warmth in their relationships with students. Still, there have to be some limits not to turning professional relationships into a friendship. Such recommendations as the creation of a student-centered classroom, understanding of what students are doing, should do, and cannot do, and the promotion of individual professional support may be given (Keiler, 2018). The principle of differentiation is integral for a positive classroom climate where students recognize their purposes, deal with challenges, identify powers, and use chances to contribute (Woolfolk & Hoy, 2013). However, increased learning flexibility can cause unpredictable damage and a mess with available opportunities (Lodge et al., 2018). Every instruction should be clear and offered at the right time.
Student learning has to be properly monitored and promoted in the classroom. Modern teachers have access to multiple assessment techniques with the help of which they know their students, recognize their needs and define the most appropriate materials and instruction at a sustained pace. There is no need to expect high student efforts and involvement from the beginning. Such assignments as self-confidence surveys focused listening, and project prospectus may be interesting for students to develop their individual approaches to implementing their knowledge and skills (Nilson, 2010). Formative feedback is a way for a teacher to observe what students have done, give some recommendations to improve their results, and make constructive comments to engage students (Nilson, 2010). Instead of focusing on such roles and educating and lecturing, effective teachers must know when to shift their focus to assessing (Keiler, 2018). When students see the results of their work, they reveal the need to promote learning and improve their skills in various directions.
What Can the Teacher Do if Most of the Students Are Not Learning the Material?
Some students need help to pull themselves together and find enough reasons to be involved in a learning process. Teachers should be ready to work in the classroom where individuals are not eager to learn the material and need additional motivation. One of the most significant observations is that students learn better in active classrooms, while passive lecture environments decrease their desire to study (Deslauriers et al., 2019). Many researchers promote applying reflective learning strategies to increase student engagement in analysis and evaluation (Nilson, 2010). New case studies, problem-solving activities, and role-playing sessions are usually interesting for young people (Heilporn et al., 2021). Students should understand their worth and see how their abilities can be applied in a particular situation.
If academic goals and rewards are not enough to engage students, an effective teacher should expand the area of impact and address behavioral aspects, parental involvement, and individualized approaches. Sometimes, it is not necessary to inform students about the intention to talk to parents not to scare them or provoke unnecessary negative emotions. Parents can reveal if some personal problems might decrease student engagement in learning. New behavioral methods are more effective in the classroom when most students do not learn the material, while individualization is appreciated if a particular student needs help. Behavioral engagement includes the establishment of norms and rules for students to follow (Heilporn et al., 2021). An interesting learning environment is the direct responsibility of a teacher, and instructional changes are allowed if poor learning or engagement is observed.
Conclusion
In general, the improvement of classroom activities is what teachers have to achieve each time student engagement and motivation decrease. Pacing instructions, promoting student learning, and monitoring their achievements can be developed in a variety of ways. The goal is not to punish students but to create a helpful and interesting environment where each activity contributes to critical thinking, problem-solving, and individual decision-making. If a student refuses to follow instructions and apply new knowledge into practice, it is important to establish a connection and understand what really prevents student success and involvement. Direct communication, information from parents, personal observations, and new classroom activities will help a teacher become more effective. Instead of making guesses or believing that positive changes can be achieved with time, it is necessary to take some actions and demonstrate to students the desire to cooperate and choose appropriate activities, sustained paces, and interesting material for group discussions.
References
Deslauriers, L., McCarty, L. S., Miller, K., Callaghan, K., & Kestin, G. (2019). Measuring actual learning versus feeling of learning in response to being actively engaged in the classroom. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(39), 19251-19257. Web.
Heilporn, G., Lakhal, S., & Bélisle, M. (2021). An examination of teachers’ strategies to foster student engagement in blended learning in higher education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 18(1). Web.
Keiler, L. S. (2018). Teachers’ roles and identities in student-centered classrooms. International Journal of STEM education, 5(1). Web.
Lodge, J. M., Kennedy, G., Lockyer, L., Arguel, A., & Pachman, M. (2018). Understanding difficulties and resulting confusion in learning: An integrative review. Frontiers in Education, 3. Web.
Nilson, L. B. (2010). Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college instructors (3rd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Woolfolk, A. & Hoy, W. K. (2013). Instructional leadership: A research-based guide to learning in schools (4th ed.). Pearson.s