JOIN USThe terms ‘stress’ and ‘studying’ are practically interlinked in our cultural mindscapes. That children and youth will undergo travails as they move through school and college is accepted by both parents and educators. Even as we rant that children are under too much pressure, or that education is a crazy rat-race, our kids continue to be caught in a trying and demanding net of cultural expectations.
Most of us know from experience that a certain amount of stress actually helps us perform better in tests and exams. While limited, short bursts of positive stress or eustress is conducive for learning, we have to ensure that children are not subjected to distress on a daily basis. By adopting various measures to address the multiple needs of students, schools and colleges may ensure that education is a positive, purposeful and pertinent experience for all.
Cultivating positive experiences
Starting in kindergarten, schools should help little ones feel secure and comfortable in the new environment. Academic skills should not be the focus of schooling at this stage. Instead, teachers may provide kids with experiences that help them cultivate a warm and positive feeling towards school and learning. Socio-emotional skills can be emphasised through group play, collaborative activities and solitary time. Teachers may also respect the fact that temperamental attributes of children can be vastly different, and make accommodations to suit the needs of both extroverted and introverted children.
Address bullying
As bullying in school can start in the younger grades and continue right through college, and practically wreck the emotional lives of kids, educational institutions should proactively address this issue. In addition to having a no bullying policy, teachers may educate children to identify the signs of bullying in themselves and others through stories and role plays.
As the signs of bullying change face over the years, educators should be primed to recognise varying forms of this menace. From tripping a kid on the bus to incessant name-calling, bullying can also assume online avatars that shadow kids even after school hours. Having a counsellor who is accessible to children can also help address such issues. Both the victim and the bully may need counseling.
Physical activity
In order to ensure that students are happy and healthy, schools should emphasise physical activity. While all kids do not have to take part in competitive sports, or even be athletic, physical educators may encourage children to exert themselves as exercise has immense benefits for the body and mind. Academic periods may also be interspersed with dance, aerobics, yoga or tai-chi so that kids get to move.
In fact, asking kids to stretch, leap like frogs and do a few jumping jacks before each period can help them be more attentive. Unfortunately, in today’s urban sprawl, most educational institutions do not have decent-sized playgrounds or adequate green cover. But getting students to commune with nature can be beneficial to their well-being. Another casualty of hectic timetables and heavy academic loads is that children don’t get enough free or play time to de-stress during the day. Ensuring that the timetable has room for children to unwind each day may actually aid their learning.
Moulding resilient kids
Teachers may also play a fundamental role in moulding resilient kids. According to positive psychology stalwart, Martin Seligman, promoting resilience involves viewing situations through the lenses of the 3 P’s — permanence, pervasiveness and personalisation. So, if Lekha fails on her Maths exam, teachers may refrain from reinforcing negative thinking. Comments like, “If you get such low marks, how will you do in the Boards?” or “If you can’t even pass one Maths test, what will you end up doing in life?” make the child interpret a single failure as permanent and pervasive.
Instead, teachers should emphasise that mistakes are temporary, and do not necessarily impact all aspects of a person’s life. Further, if Lekha feels that she did poorly because she is weak in Maths, her teachers can help her reframe the situation without blaming herself personally. If the teacher reassures her that it was a tough exam, Lekha is more likely to bounce back from the setback.
Inspiring growth
Next, to maximise the learning potential of children, educators should staunchly promote what Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck calls a growth-mindset. When we categorise kids by marks, talents or other criteria, we put them in psychological straitjackets that restrict their growth.
In contrast to a fixed-mindset, wherein people believe that abilities and intelligence are generally fixed in people and do not change over time, those who adopt a growth-mindset feel that talent, potential and other qualities can be cultivated with effort and time. Believing that all children are capable of learning and excelling on their own terms can indeed be liberating for students.
Motivated to learn
Ultimately, we want students to become intrinsically motivated learners so that they can continue to flower after they leave the portals of academia. According to psychologists Edward L Deci and Richard M Ryan, we can enhance motivation by providing three key psychological nutrients.The first, autonomy, refers to giving students space to make their own decisions so that they feel that they are in the driver’s seat of their lives. Giving students choice, in age-appropriate ways, whenever possible, can help them become autonomous. From deciding where to sit to what courses they take, students may be given varying degrees of autonomy. Getting them involved in drawing up rules is another way to empower them.
Second, teachers should try and forge personal connections with all students. Reducing class size or allowing time for one-on-one interactions even for large seminar classes can help forge bonds between students and faculty. Teachers should also ensure that the work students are given matches their abilities. Exercises that are too easy result in boredom, while extremely taxing activities can lead to frustration. Students who have learning difficulties should be provided with remedial support and tutors. They may also be given accommodations like photocopies of notes, extra time on exams, the option of using a keyboard and exemption from certain subjects.
Ultimately, educators have to question the very purpose of education, time and again. As we impart academic skills and knowledge to students, we should not lose sight of the deeper aims of education. Tough as it may be, educators should avoid getting sucked in by the vortex of marks and markets. At its core, education is about living a full life that includes physical, cognitive, emotional, social and spiritual dimensions. Even as cultural forces may value one domain over another, educators may continue to critically examine their role so that we produce generations of well-rounded, life-long seekers.
(The author is director, Prayatna, Bengaluru)