RAISING STUDENTS’ LEARNING THRESHOLD

CARIDAD V. GARCIA

When students are trying to learn something, they may find the content difficult to understand. As they encounter new vocabulary or ideas and start recognizing them, their learning gets a bit easier. Students then begin to get comfortable as soon as they practice and work on their skills.

This process is their learning threshold, and it is the teacher’s job to help students raise this, as well as increase their capacity to learn.

This learning process has four steps, in which the teacher plays a vital role. First in the process is observation. Here, teachers can use the “I do, we do, you do” framework, which helps students prepare to learn.

The more relevant the introduction, the more powerful the impression on the students’minds will be.

Now, getting students to participate is the next step in the process. As soon as students know what they’re going to be doing, they have a place to put this information in their brains.

Next step is practice, which students do independently. They use what they’ve learned to resolve other problems. Based on their experience, students are ready to see if they can explore by changing variables in the experiment .

Last step in the process if performance. When a student is prepared for a challenge, they have a positive feeling about being able to perform well for others. The brain releases endorphins, and it wants more.

The more realistic and relevant the evaluation methods are, the more memorable the lesson will be— and the ability to apply that new learning will i ncr ease.

Students can take control of their learning when they go through the process of observing, participating, practicing, and performing.

A good teacher will help her students raise their learning threshold by creating a learning environment that captures their imagination and enthusiasm and prepares the student for the next level.

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The author is Teacher III at Floridablanca Elementary School