LEAVE NO CHILD BEHIND

It’s easy to leave a child behind in class. It might not be a conscious act but most educators and even parents are guilty of these. I’m sure you’re wondering what I mean by leaving a child behind…

Let me tell you a short story and just maybe you’ll get a glimpse of this whole picture.

I teach two classes and there was also a time when I was a class teacher to four classes (superwoman). As a teacher who is very passionate about academic improvement, I sourced for different strategies to bring out the best in my students and it worked.

The plot twist in this story is that the strategy didn’t work for all students. As for the ones who improved and are doing quite well in class, they got amazing remarks whenever I marked their classwork or assignments. They got prizes after winning intraclass competitions and I was so proud of them.

Now here’s another plot twist (can a story have two plot twists?). While the brilliant ones were getting prizes, amazing remarks and other positive reinforcements, the average students were only been egged on to improve academically. No amazing remarks, no prizes, no form of positive reinforcements.

I once heard a child discussing with her friends. She told them her teacher is nice to the intelligent students and mean to the average ones. Many of us have been carried away by the awemazing performance of a child or set of children that we pour all praises on them and forget the average ones.

This is the strategy I use in my class. Even as I shower praises on the brilliant ones in class, I also look deep for something special in the others and praise them too. For example, i have a boy in my class who has the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. He happens to be an average student so often times I compliment his smile. Last week I told him his smile makes me forget bad times and I find myself smiling too. I have another who is a creative artist and I praise him for that too.

That stubborn child has something worthy of amazing remarks. I have a student who fights a lot in class but has a very calm voice and that’s worthy of a positive remark.

When showering praises and giving beautiful remarks don’t leave a child behind. The child starts feeling the others are better than him. He now believes since he’s not brilliant there’s nothing special about it. Sometimes it also gives his classmates room to mock him.

Don’t get too carried away with that spectacular child that you forget the other. Don’t shower all your love on that child you find promising. Like I always tell my student “you all are special to me and I love you so much. you’re all special in your own way and that’s where your beauty lies.”

Make a conscious effort today not to leave a child behind. Shower your praises on all. Let every child feel your sincere love towards them. Dear parents and teachers, NEVER LEAVE A CHILD BEHIND.