Being a teacher is no easy task. In addition to tutoring students on different subjects, you also need to take care of evaluation, track progress, design and monitor project submissions, and so on. You need to effectively deliver the topic or subject, and also keep the interest of the students piqued. Every class has students with different learning styles and capacities. Some of them are quick learners, while some others take forever to grasp even simple concepts. Some students are inclined to Math and Science, while others have a passion for Arts and Humanities. Being able to manage these diverse interests, and getting students to listen and grasp the subject matter is a feat that can only be achieved with a lot of hard work and effort. Your success as a teacher or educator lies in how well you are able to cater to the learning needs of each and every student in the class, no matter how easily or slowly they understand what is being taught. Creative teaching program or Professional development courses for teachers and educators can be of immense help in such situations.

Understanding different learning styles

Learning differences are a part and parcel of every classroom. Every group of students has one or more of them who are ‘bright’, a couple of them who perform average or above average, and a few who pick up information and process it at a much slower pace than the rest of their peers. Such diversity is natural to every classroom, and adds to its strength and weakness. As a teacher, you need to understand the difficulties faced by the below average performers, and help them catch up with the rest of their friends. In doing so, you are not only able to bring the class performance at par to a certain extent, but also boost the confidence of these children who have difficulties learning via regular means.

Such problems that exist in the classroom can often be solved by addressing the need for different learning techniques. Though there are many classifications for learning styles, the most popular, and well understood one includes that of visual, auditory, and tactile styles. Visual learners understand and process information faster when presented with visual cues. These could be images, pictorial representations, charts, videos, and so on. Auditory learners process information faster through sounds. They learn better in the classroom by hearing, or by listening to recorded audio tapes, and by reading or repeating information aloud. Tactile learners pick up things by doing. They are the best in laboratory classes, and work experience subjects. They assimilate knowledge by doing things. Many students can also be learners with a combination of different learning styles.

Professional development programs for teachers – The solution

Typical school, college, and university curriculums are often rigid, and have very little information on how you can adapt your classroom or teaching methodology to cater to different learning styles.  A professional development program for educators and teachers comes to your rescue in such situations. Such programs are designed to help you implement creative teaching techniques, while encouraging leadership, teamwork, and better time management that contribute to effective learning in the classroom. They help you discover ways of incorporating the right mix of lectures, assignments, and practice exercises that spark the creativity in your students, and propel them forward onto the path of achievement. These courses enable you to bring out the best in each student by being attentive of their diverse needs, and catering to them in a holistic manner. Professional development programs also encourage you to become a better person who bonds as a friend and guide with his/her students, than just be a tutor who passes on information. Through a mix of creative teaching and learning techniques, and better rapport, you slowly get to build a fun and more interactive class that captures not only the attention of your students, but also their praise, respect, and love.