Learning is a lifelong process. But it cannot become an enjoyable one until done at a pace that is comfortable for a particular individual. As a teacher, your focus should be more on their quality of learning rather than speed. This is crucial because methods like rote or superficial learning may help your student pass in their exams but they won’t be able to remember much of what they learnt anyway or even put that knowledge to any practical use. You also need to keep in mind that while some of your students may grasp certain concepts quickly, others take more time to get there. So you can use the following methods to make their learning process much easier:
Be patient with them:
Teachers, like the rest of us, are human beings after all. It is natural for you to get exasperated when your student is finding it difficult to grasp something even after you’ve explained it multiple times. But if you react with anger towards them, it will really hurt their confidence and self-esteem. Not only that, but it will also end up making your students feel like failures. And that is the last thing any teacher would want for their pupils. The best way to deal with this situation would be to encourage them to keep trying as well as appreciate their efforts.
Reduce distractions:
Be it a physical classroom or an online one, the best way to make sure that all your students, both fast and slow learners, are studying the subject in an environment that is conducive to learning. And that can happen when there are no unnecessary distractions around them. Ask your students to do the same thing when they are studying in their homes. Doing so will allow them to focus all their energies on the subject at hand.
Shorter Study sessions:
The classroom sessions should be as brief as possible, with multiple breaks in between them. This strategy ensures that the workload or pressure on the students is at a bare minimum and manageable. This is especially important for slow learners because it allows them more breathing space to do some actual learning and reach their true potential.
Accessibility:
Anyone who takes more time than others in learning needs that extra bit of care and attention. To achieve this, you need to be more accessible to them so that they can reach you whenever they need help. This also reduces their anxiety and gives them hope their teachers will be there whenever they need any sort of help or guidance. It is something that all teachers need to keep in mind whenever they are dealing with slow learners.
Use newer methods:
You can take the help of audio and visual materials to help your students with their lessons. Not only are these methods more interactive, but they also help them in learning at a much faster rate with better understanding. You can also use live examples to help your students understand the concepts better. These methods will register much more easily in their minds when compared to learning through books. You can use examples they can relate to. This will not only make the whole exercise fin but it will also give your students much-needed confidence which is essential for better learning.
These are some tactics you can use for all your students. Doing so will produce results that will not only help them in their learning in your class but also in other subjects.