Schools provide a variety of services for students, including mental health and social support. Many schools also partner with local organizations to bring students into the community as volunteers.
Students crave instruction that connects with their lives and real-world experiences. For example, they want math lessons to make sense in their everyday lives.
1. Create a friendly environment
The physical and social environment in which students learn can have a significant impact on their attainment and wellbeing. Schools need to promote positive learning environments that encourage students to feel connected with teachers, families, and peers. This can help reduce high-risk behavior such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infections; mental health problems; suicidal ideation; and involvement in violence.
Create a classroom that welcomes all of your students and their complexities. For example, hold a get-to-know-you activity where children can write alliterative facts about themselves. This will make them easier to remember! This will also give them a sense of belonging. This will prevent students from feeling isolated and dread coming to school. It will also help them form healthy friendships.
2. Interact with the kids
Students thrive when schools and the significant adults in their lives work together to encourage and support them. School is a big part of kids’ lives, and it can be difficult for them to throw themselves into learning when they have a negative relationship with the institution.
Talking about your child’s day at school demonstrates your interest and boosts their mental health, happiness and wellbeing. This is especially true for children who have a high degree of social capacity.
Getting involved is easy, but follow your kid’s cues to determine how much interaction works for them. Attend school or teacher meetings, and get involved in community programs that support student success, like nutrition and mental health. You can also volunteer for field trips and classroom activities.
3. Include games in the classroom
Games in the classroom encourage children to learn in ways that go beyond traditional pencil and paper tasks. Educational games like online scavenger hunts, multimedia quizzes, and even virtual simulations allow kids to test their skills in high-interest, interactive learning environments.
Video games also challenge students to think critically about social and cultural issues that are difficult to tackle in a classroom setting, such as terrorism, racism, poverty, and other controversial topics. These games often use immersive media and involve role playing to teach children to make informed decisions.
Another benefit of including games in the classroom is that they promote teamwork, cooperation, and competition. Adding a competitive component to a lesson can help kids feel more engaged and can give them the practice they need to develop their executive functioning skills.
4. Inculcate reading habits
Reading is an important skill that children must learn from a young age. It has a number of benefits including improved memory, vocabulary enhancement, stress reduction, and better writing skills. It also improves concentration and helps students to think more creatively. However, many kids avoid reading because it is boring or they do not understand the importance of it.
Schools should try to inculcate the habit of reading in children by providing them with books and a comfortable place to read. They should also give them the freedom to choose what they want to read. They should also invite authors to the school for discussion.
In addition, they should also encourage students to visit book stores and share their books with other children. They can also create a reading challenge for them (like reading two books a week) and reward them.
5. Make learning fun
Many teachers have a difficult time making learning fun for kids. But the truth is that kids who have fun in class tend to be better learners over time. This is because they have a greater desire to learn and are more likely to retain what they’ve learned.
Make sure to incorporate interactive elements into your lessons. You can have students answer questions or write responses with their hands. You can also have them work with a partner for two minutes and then change partners. This is a great way to get them to talk to each other and keep them engaged in the lesson.
And if you’re worried about losing your authority, don’t. Studies show that kids respect adults who are goofy and care about them, even if they’re making fun of themselves.