by Carol Relf Kondrat

Created on: January 10, 2011

Good teachers encourage class participation:

Effective teachers plan lessons with the hope that all students will be motivated to actively participate in the learning activities.  The goal is to create a learning environment that accommodates all students.  This requires differentiation in the planning and in the expectations that the teacher sets for the class.

Class participation can be viewed very subjectively and can be achieved in many different forms.  In a classroom, teachers are dealing with many different learning styles.  There can be as many learning styles as there are learners within a class, so it can be a challenge for a teacher to be able to address them all.  Children learn differently and they participate differently.  There are many ways that a student can participate in a class.  Being attentive is a way of participating in a class.  Following directions and completing assignments are forms of participation. Daily attendance is participation. For some students, this is the most they can offer to a classroom and they need to be given recognition for this in some way so they are comfortable. 

A classroom can be looked at as a team.  All of the players are very different, but they need to be considered part of the team.  A team is made up of positions that are played by the members of the team and everyone is needed as part of the effort.  A class can be a team and the goal is for all to learn together.  No one should stand alone and that includes the teacher.  The teacher can draw on the students’ knowledge and skills to pull the team along to work together.  Brainstorming is a way to include everyone in the process.  All contributions are participation.

Teachers are encountering more than different learning styles.  Each student has their own personalities that they bring to a class.  Some are very verbal and outgoing and others are very shy and quiet.  Others may fit into the span between.  Using these different personalities to determine class participation benefits the individual students as well as the team.  If students feel comfortable in class, they are more apt to learn and take away a positive experience.  Allowing all to participate within their own learning ability and personality can create a comfortable atmosphere for the team to work. 

An effective teacher is aware of the diversity they encounter with every lesson they plan.  Class participation that is guided according to the learning styles and personalities of the individual students leads to a comfortable and productive learning environment.  A positive atmosphere encourages participation by all students and thus learning happens.

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