Get your learners ready with Starter

Often times,we see footballers do exercise before they engage themselves with football play.That is not out of context.They are preparing themselves for the main activity. 

Sometimes we seem not to understand the efficacy but in the actual sense,preparation is a necessity. 

The will to do is important but more importantly is the will to prepare. 

Benjamin Franklin informed us that

 " By failing to prepare, You  are preparing to fail" 

How does that sound?like a bomb right?

That calls for a moment of reflection for teachers  you know!

What is starter?

Starter in the context of teaching and learning  is  any activity a teacher uses to prepare his or her learners to learn. I call it an appetizer.It is always that short activity used by a teacher to usher the learners in to an active learning mode.Learning is not  automatic but a process.

Like catalysts, starters speed up the learning process and help learners to escape the learning barriers to navigate through the huddles of learning properly. 

Starter is a skill that provokes curiosity in learners. 

Let us look at  some xamples of starter 

Short Questions 

Short video clips 

Picture display 

Diagram

Audio 

Short play

A game

A song

Short story 

Question/answer matching challenge

A puzzle or even a positive but simple joke

Wondering What makes a good starter....here are  some tips

A good starter must focus on learning. It should not deviate from the aim.

A good starter must be simple,smart and active.

Time bound (about 5minutes)

It should stimulate hunger for learning,provoke curiosity and response. 

It should promote deeper learning 

Starter should reduce the learning barrier and usher learners in to the learning mode.

Most learners come to class with issues of life(watch our previous episode on baggages of life).A powerful starter can help learners transcend higher than their issues as they are motivated and positively interact with others. 

Remember,  learning is the focus.Starter should be able to help learners to learn better.

Starter can be used to ascertain previous knowledge about a subject and can also be used to review previously taught lessons before a new one.

A balanced starter allows the teacher to get the learners willing and ready to learn. The teacher facilitates as learners learn and chart their course. 

Traditional method of teaching  has not helped  learning because with traditional method, Teachers do not take time to prepare their learners to learn rather they drag them into it like a bull to the slaughter. Everything is about the teacher but learners should lead learning in the real sense. Over the years, we' ve seen the consequences of traditional method of teaching and the  negative effect  of lack of learning preparation in our society. Half baked learners who always prefer the answer to finding the process are bred.

Now is the time to pulse and re-imagine our practices. Starter is an  important tool.Taking it away from our teaching kit is concerning and have huge consequence. 

Additional resources 

     Hook Students' Attention with these 15 highly engaging Lesson Starter Ideas.

Learning environment and the impact on learning

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

When we think of an environment. Surely a few things come to mind: A surrounding, a place, a place of dwelling, the condition surrounding us, and so on.

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, environment  is defined as the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surrounded.

Science on the other hand defined the environment of a living thing as everything around it that could affect its survival. These are environmental factors which can be due to living and non-living factors. It is the most important component in life because the survival of an organism depends greatly on the environment. God created environment first before the organism. This tells us that the environment must be ready before the organism, or any activity.

In the context of learning, the environment is everything/conditions that affect learning. The condition where learners learn. A learning environment can include physical spaces such as classrooms, virtual spaces such as digital platforms like Zoom, Skype and Google Classroom and so 

A learning environment must be prepared before learning can take place because the conditions of learning must affect the totality of the learner and his or her learning. The earlier we understand that, the better. 

According to Myles Munroe, “Everything was created to exist within a prescribed environment”

Everything was created to function in a specific type of environment therefore learning must happen in a specific type of environment.

Types of Learning Environments

 A learning environment can be conducive or toxic.

A conducive environment is a specific type of learning environment. It begins with the teachers, though the school has a big role to play  but the teachers' role is paramount.

Components of a conducive learning environment

 Lesson planning -Conducive learning environment begins with planning. Teachers who desire a conducive learning environment for their learners must plan their lessons very well. They must ensure that all the active teaching skills and practices are in place before the learning. It is not ideal to run around when your learners are coming into your classroom or are already seated for learning to take place.

Acceptance- This is the first contact point of learners and teachers. Teachers must give a warm welcome to their learners as they enter the classroom through verbal and non-verbal expressions. Acceptance is a key action, it makes learners feel welcomed . Learners with the baggages of life can find a ground to drop them for effective learning to take place.It is like a soothing balm. So teachers must cultivate the attitude of welcoming their learners into the classroom.Rejection can have a tremendous impact on learning.

Safe and Active – A  conducive learning environment must be safe and active. the opinion and voice of learners must count.No victimization or microaggressions. of any kind. On no account should a teacher shout down a learner/learners or confine them in a row with a command to be quiet and receive the information being loaded.

I understand and believe in discipline but let us know when to draw the line. There is a limit to everything. Learner –interaction, engagement and collaboration are crucial learning components.Learners must lead their learning.

Inclusive in function- Every learner is unique, so individual differences exist and must be embraced. Engage the slogan ‘No child is left behind”. Provision must be made for different kinds of learning styles so that all learners will be carried along.

Learner support is very important both during and after the lesson. A teacher must recognize those that need support and ensure they get it.

Assessment and Feedback -Teachers should be able to assess the work of the learners and learners can assess themselves and each other. Apart from the constructive feedback from the teacher,learners can as well give honest feedback to themselves.In this way, deeper learning will occur.

Significance of a positive learning environment

A positive learning environment creates a positive learning experience

Positive learning environment helps learners to discover who they are in life.

It promotes confidence,innovative mindset, good behaviour and research skills.

Toxic learning as the name implies is toxic to learning. These toxins affects the learning condition in a tremendous way  . Unpreparedness,shouting ,aggression , negative body language and expression, subtle insults are the easiest ways to add toxins to the learning environment.Toxic learning promotes inappropriate behaviour which will negatively affect learning.         

Our classrooms should be a place of building, healing and not harm                                     

Additional resources 

     Rejection in the classroom.

 Turea Hutson(TEDx Norristown)

       Creating a positive learning environment 

        -Edutopia

Recap on Collaborative learning

 Collaborative learning has been discussed in one of our episodes. FOR THE SAKE OF importance; we are revisiting.

Collaborative learning promotes a positive learning culture amongst learners.
The skill does not only promote understanding but enhances self esteem in learners.
For more information; watch the video from Edutopia. (quite an interesting piece.Checkout   via YouTube

     Collaborative learning builds a deeper understanding https://youtu.be/rWEwv_qobpU?si=CrOOfHRjItYXmk1D

Visit the sitehttps://edutopia.org