As the new basic education session begins in September, some educators have suggested teaching and learning enhancing tips that will impact learners positively.
Director of Platform Schools, Ipaja, Mr Bola Obe, in an interview with The PUNCH, said educators should focus on a technology-driven education tailored towards the changing dynamics in this 21st century.
He said, ‘‘The current trend in curriculum innovation is to glean from the curriculum of other nations, especially, the 1st world countries, ideas that keep them ahead of others. Gone are the days when learning is autocratic and rigid. Modern learning is democratic and flexible. Schools should be creative in the use of extracurricular and co-curricular in enhancing the learning process.
‘‘They should not leave everything to the formal classroom experience. Rather, they should allow the learners to evolve and innovate through collaborative learning, project work, group assignment and brainstorming session. Teachers should be facilitators and referees or umpires; they should give learners room to grow. This will make them have a quality learning experience.’’
Director, Florish-Gate Global Consult, Mrs Dideolu Adekogbe, added that teachers should have a list of personal and professional goals in different areas for improvement.
She advised educators to set expectations for their learners as subject or class teachers.
“Be ready to bond with learners. It is beyond coming to school from 8 am to 3 pm. It is about focus and ensuring readiness for work to make an impact. Be proactive, plan ahead and be ready for your classes.
“Check out all the textbooks, your lesson notes, lesson plan, register, classroom rules, classroom decorations/display, etc, and structure your classroom and lesson delivery.’’
Also, proprietor of World Class Academy, Command, Ipaja, Mr Elijah Eragbie, opined that ‘‘Former topics should be revised instead of just jumping into the new topics. Evaluation of learning materials, especially textbooks to ensure 21st-century relevance. Pupils’ diet should be monitored while they should be allowed to have exercise and rest as well.’’
Meanwhile, the proprietress of De Joyland School, Yaba, Mrs Abimbola Osagie, explained that schools and educators should focus on preparing students for the future.
‘‘The real deal is the system that focuses on skills acquisition.
‘‘Kids should be allowed to explore their mental power and be encouraged to create and innovate.
“Educators must also be conscious of the fact that each child has a peculiar learning style and must consider this in their preparation for teaching and learning,” she said.
An educator in the ICT field, Mr Charles Chukwu advised teachers to help learners who experienced learning loss during the holiday overcome it.
He said, ‘‘Continuous Professional Development in form of training and self-learning is important for teachers.
‘‘Networking with other professionals at events hosted for educators and school owners. Teachers should gauge feedback from parents and other stakeholders in education so that they know what aspects of their practice in class that need to be fine tuned.’’
