This school is quite different from other schools observed in terms of the random seating arrangement in classrooms. I observed a Year 9 English class and appreciated most of the teaching approaches adopted by the teacher.
The personalized approach to learning is used to cater to individual differences. The teacher came close to each student, asked about their progress in doing homework and whether he can offer help to them. Approaching students is of utmost importance since teachers will not be able to understand each of them completely if they only interact with the class. A teacher should talk to his or her students to better comprehend their situations. If they encounter any problems, they can pacify them and provide them with concrete and feasible solutions to improve conditions.
In order to keep close contact with the students, the teacher has built a positive relationship with them. He asked students about their recent situations and encourages them to work hard. When the students were not paying attention to him, he reminded them of respecting others just like respecting themselves. The method is effective because students will understand their behavior is improper and it should be rectified. They will master the self-management skills and consider the effects of their behavior on others. Concerning the academic development, students will be more willing to discuss topics with their teachers and ask questions if they do not understand. This is helpful in their learning in that they will not get stuck on unclear concepts which discourage them to pursue further studies.
This school emphasizes learning by making use of outside spaces, which are used as learning and performance spaces. These facilitate students’ learning because they do not need to stay in the classroom all the time, instead they can get hands-on experience by working on their own. Therefore, their impression towards abstract concepts and ideas will be strengthened and they will understand them more.
Round-table can be seen in most of the classrooms since this school encourages students to learn by working together to complete a variety of tasks. By group learning, peers can learn with each other and if they have any questions, they can ask others for solutions. Therefore, students will learn effectively through these kinds of activities.
In addition, this school focuses on learning integrated subjects. Students will be asked to study subjects of different disciplines. For example, Arts students will be required to study a number of Science courses so that their knowledge will not be limited to Arts only. They are not required to study the Science subjects in-depth, they need to acquire basic knowledge only. This approach is so similar to that adopted in The University of Hong Kong, where a series of broadening courses are available, including Science and Technology, Cultural Studies. This helps equip students with more knowledge for better life quality and it is recommended that more schools will take this type of learning as reference.
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