child centric teaching Archives

The Importance of Good Parent-Teacher Communication

October 7, 2022November 24, 2022By admin

For an educational experience to be embraced and integrated wholeheartedly, it has to come from a joint effort from everybody involved in the progressive learning process, the student, the teacher and the parents.

For academic success, a stimulating environment is essential which includes educators that are committed to the cause, short-term and long-term educational goals, easy access to nature-based education, formulation and regulation in the leadership and hierarchy of the educators, and excellent familial support systems.

It is a known fact that when parents are involved minutely in their child’s education, there are great results. Hence, the teacher-parent-child triangulation needs to be smooth. This means that the parent-teacher relationship has to be honest and engaging. Tapas Education doesn’t miss any opportunity to organise events at school for the parents to get involved along with their children, and thus build up the learning relationship together!

For a child that is just starting out at school, his/her parent is their role model which soon changes to the teacher being one too. For this transition to happen smoothly year after year, there needs to be positive communication between the parents and teachers and evidently, this proves to be positive in the child’s academic performance each year too.

For education to have a positive impact, it is imperative that the learning that is formal at school should be incorporated in an informal way at home too because a child’s intellectual development happens at both places.

And for this journey to be successful, it is crucial that the communication between the parents and teachers is consistent as this impacts the emotional, cognitive and social development of the child. At Tapas Education, through stimulating curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge between teachers, students, and parents, we would like to nurture lifelong learners. Furthermore, we think that expositions like Poshak Sabha and Summit of The Minds enable us to communicate with the Tapas families more effectively and to forge greater bonds with them.

Positive Parent-Teacher Communication

At the onset of each educational year, there is a new relationship forged between the parents and teachers that ends when the child goes to the next grade. At first, introductions are made and then a relationship is established based on the common factor – the student. Typically, the school system has parent-teacher meetings that are known as PTMs. These are set early in the academic year for the whole year and this is where the parent-teacher interaction takes place. Although, in the lower grades, teachers frequently meet the parents at pick-up and drop-off times too. Also, the option of communicating via mail and phone is always available.

With consistent communication, teachers can inform the parents about the child’s achievements. At Tapas Education, we negotiate through the “two-way communication” model with parents and let them decide what suits their children. A collaborative effort by both the teacher and the parents can cumulatively have a positive impact on a child that is struggling with behavioral problems or grades. If the teacher cooperates and empowers the parent, then they can put in the right amount of help for the child at home too. This is a win-win situation because it augments the teachers’ efforts at school.

Child Centric Teaching

When all of the involved parties in a child’s education, parents and teachers per se, have a positive relationship, it impacts the child’s overall education and growth in a wholesome manner. This teamwork has great advantages for the student’s success. We host events like “Summit of the Minds” as another way to promote two-way communication between students, teachers, and parents. Summit Of the Minds is an exposition that is totally run by children. The students lead the exposition from beginning to end.

It is a learner-led exposition that improves students’ communication skills while also increasing their sense of accountability and responsibility.

The child tends to work harder with Genuity and piqued interest levels. They take part in the goals set for their class or school proactively. They get inspired to achieve more.
The student gains more respect for their educators when they see the teachers taking initiative in each of the students and their parents proactively. The respect and inclusivity shown by the teacher to the parents make the student have more regard for that teacher.
The student can solve problems easier when there is a level of trust between the teacher and parents that translates to the child too. Any issues faced in daily activities or in their studies, the child is able to comprehend and ask questions or seek help confidently. This is only due to the faith in the relationship that has been established between the three given parties.
One of the main social skills is two-way communication and it is learned passively. A child apes effective communication between adults and peers. An active environment and an advanced channel of communication intended to steer the child in the direction of observing, absorbing and open learning. The interactions with the classmates, teachers and parents are thus, successful.
A conducive environment for learning brings about small and big achievements like awards, good grades, etc., and students thrive on accomplishments. The collaborative relationship between parents and teachers can be enhanced when they motivate and celebrate the child’s successes, big and small equally. This happens when there is good communication and the effect of this is that it will motivate the child to shine better.

A Few Strategies for Teachers

When the teacher understands that the parent’s involvement is a job half done for the teacher itself, learning and teaching become an easier process. That’s when our two-way communication at Tapas Education works out.

A few pointers to start in the right direction.

Communicate with the parents consistently.
Set clear classroom expectations and communicate them to the parents.
Have open house events and special projects that parents can be a part of.
Seek feedback from parents regularly.
Have patience with parents and empathize with them if they take the time to understand.
Prioritize the parent’s timings for meets and give them importance so that they feel confident to take part in the day-to-day activities of the school.

A Few Strategies for Parents

Education starts at home. A child’s cognitive development starts the moment they are born. This makes it imperative for the parents to approach communication skills correctly as they are the first role models for their children. To accomplish a meaningful communication channel with the teachers, here are some tips.

Be considerate of the teacher’s schedule and show up on time.
Establish a channel of communication that suits the teacher and stick to that throughout the year like two-way communication.
While you are dealing with one class teacher per year, that teacher is dealing with many parents hence, respect their off-school hours time.
For a PTM, carry a list of questions that you can ask and get answers for in a concise manner and in the given time slot.
Get pointers on how you can help teach your child at home to ease the workload on both the child and the teacher.
Small stuff goes a long way. Gestures like signing the notebook or short comments, appreciation for the teachers, volunteering in projects or even greeting the teachers amiably when you drop off or pick up the child can do wonders for the communication channels.
Share all the relevant information in the first half of the academic year, like report cards and where you think the child needs help. Also, send notes regularly on the child’s academia and history so that it helps the teacher to delve better into the child’s psyche and help him/her do better in school.
Make sure you respond to the teacher’s queries regularly and not just wait to meet at the PTMs. Correspond systematically and routinely with the teachers to stay involved in the child’s progress.

It Takes a Village

Whether you are a parent or an educator, we all need to work hard toward a child’s academic success. And for a child to succeed at school, it does not mean just the curriculum but also an entire support system that has its roots at both, the home and school. When a child gets better scores and the development is wholesome in a holistic manner, it is not only the success of the child but of the whole gamut of communication between the three entities involved. At Tapas Education, our two-way communication model between the parent and teacher brings about good relationships and instills much-needed confidence in little children.

“From the earliest days, we knew that it was not possible to do good work with the little children without the help of their parents.”
― Caroline Pratt, I Learn from Children

What is the Difference between conventional and progressive teaching methods?

September 21, 2022November 25, 2022By admin

The traditional method of teaching is made up of two solids: Chalk and Talk. Centered around a teacher.

So, there is a classroom full of children and one teacher who is the central figure and the only one who provides information. While every school’s primary function and priority is to provide education to the children as well as get optimal results, it all starts going in different directions when how to implement the teaching methods is down for discussion.

In a traditional classroom, discipline is taught separately, for example, wherein in a progressive setup, it is integrated through the learning processes and becomes a part of life as a whole. Basically, it all comes down to how the curriculum is being taught. Students in a traditional school are expected to process the information as soon as the teacher has taught the children. In a progressive school, however, there is no structured curriculum and everything is taught by experience and subtle guidance by the educators.

The main difference between the two methods is that conventional teaching has been and continues to be governed by grades, exams and homework, leaving one child happier than the other. The sense of competition amongst the children is higher than the sense of achievement. Whereas in the PBL (Project Based Learning) system, every child learns through collaborative inclusion, experiences and play. The difference here lies in student learning and where it is centered. Traditional schools focus on the teachers and subjects taught while progressive school focuses on the student.

Child centric teaching

Conventionally, teachers hold the authority in teaching various subjects and are considered to be the source of all information. To set a particular academic standard, teachers have to gauge whether the students have learned the subject at hand, and whether are they ready to pass exams. For this reason, oftentimes teachers take a rigid approach and directness. It all boils down to rote learning, pass or fail. On the other hand, in a progressive school, the teachers are facilitators instead of figures of authority. They help the child learn and think, whether it is in the confines of a classroom or outside. Knowledge comes from everywhere and the teachers do not claim to be the experts as they gently nudge the child in the correct direction of his/her choice. Therein, the child can use any number of sources and resources to find and process information. These can be inclusive of their personal interests, peer interactions, sense of adventure, play and experiences.

Progressive educational institution

The conventional methods of teaching have long since established that learning is passive and the students aren’t active participants in the process of learning. Information is disseminated through the information that a teacher provides and the understanding of a particular subject that a child perceives is subjected to grades without so much as a second thought as to why the child did not understand or process the information correctly.

A progressive school, on the other hand, has experiential learning methods devoid of homework, grading systems, rote learning and exams. Since progressive learning itself uses two different approaches, they tend to follow less structure and more experience and experimentation systems to ensure that the child has the look and feel of it all. This keeps evolving with each subject distinctly. Discipline is integrated into the teaching and the students learn to connect the dots.

Differentiated learning strategies

Traditional or Progressive, both methods have their pros and cons. How amazing would it be if a parent got the best of both worlds? This is where Tapas education, a progressive learning institution in Bangalore comes in. The best practices of the conventional and project-based teaching methods are synergised and interspersed with an exclusive program that is devised for the Tapas students.

The curriculum follows a set of routines, structures and standards but also, but each child is nurtured by the educator with guidance and personalised attention. Students are taught critical thinking, decision-making skills and knowledge application besides test-taking skills and study habits.

Conclusion

When literacy, humanities, numeracy and life skills can be integrated into one wholesome curriculum, why keep the boundaries? When the children can make connections between all the subjects with an inherent discipline, why subject them to rote learning? These are imperative questions to ask oneself as a parent.

https://tapaseducation.com/ has created an alliance between the conventional and progressive methods, that prepares each individual student to be successful, remaining grateful and kind in all areas of their lives. This kind of nurturing environment exemplifies the wisdom and merit that all parents strive for their children to have.

Benefits of Child-centric Education in the 21st Century

August 9, 2022October 30, 2023By admin

As the focus of education has been slowly shifting to a Child-centric approach, we see a rise in educators who support equipping students with 21st-century skills through child-centric teaching. Teachers all around the globe have been trying to make their classes fun, engaging, and tailored to students’ needs. Child-centric teaching enables them to make learning fun, incentivises students to be actively involved in the process of their education.

Supportive Environment: One of the most important places for students and teachers is the classroom and when the classroom environment is child-focused, it is equipped with all the necessary items to cater to the individual learning styles of students. Students are motivated to brainstorm and engage actively to match their interest level with ideas, concepts, and skills planned as part of the curriculum. Active participation ensures not only a higher level of engagement but also individual responsibility for learning.

Holistic Approach: Child-centric learning methods majorly focus on the holistic development of the child, even NEP 2020 supports classroom learning to regularly contain more creative, collaborative, exploratory, and fun activities. Such Activity based learning encourages the development of physical capabilities along with intellectual prowess, cognitive or mental abilities, emotional understanding, and social and interpersonal skills.

Play and Activity-based learning: Most qualified educators ponder on how to make their classes more fun and interactive because they understand that for a child an activity-based learning experience is more long-lasting and memorable. As they focus on the child, they include more and more play-based activities and hence reward the students for engaging with the curriculum as they learn not only information but application in real-life scenarios through play.

Real-life application: It is fairly common for parents to worry about their kids as they transition from home to school to college. A Child-centric educational environment is less structured and more activity based, making it closer to life. As students get more involved, it becomes easier for them to apply their learning in any situation and scenario.

Supporting Individuality: In a traditional classroom, it gets difficult for students to shine with their individual expressions and style. However, cold-centric education gives more importance to individual learning styles, enabling students to bring out their individuality and be assessed on their strengths as they work on their potential areas. The child works with the teacher to personalize their lesson plan so they can learn the best way possible and master the skills needed.

Continuous learning with immersive experiences: In a child-centric learning environment, a child learns the skills and plans their own activity and lessons. It enables them to continue their learning in the future as needed and makes it playful for long-term learning.

At Tapas, we see children developing and enjoying all these benefits of chilld-centric education. They work with facilitators to design their activities, we share immersive experiences with master classes and children have high energy throughout the day as the whole experience is full of play and fun activities. No wonder they don’t want to go home and are excited to come back to school every morning.

child centric teaching