It's not "one size fits all"!
Each one of us is different. We have different colour eyes, hair and skin. Some are tall, some are short. We have different shoe sizes, likes and dislikes and fluctuating moods. We are not robots. I am me and you and you and it would be a boring world if we were all the same! 😀
However, when it comes to education we are all expected to learn the same way! For the majority of students, the "system" works OK but it is not a good fit for everyone.
It has been identified that there are 7 categories of learners:
- Auditory and musical learners. ...
- Visual and spatial learner. ...
- Verbal learner. ...
- Logical and mathematical learner. ...
- Physical or kinesthetic learner. ...
- Social and interpersonal learner. ...
- Solitary and intrapersonal learner.
https://www.literacyplanet.com/au/news/engage-7-types-learners-classroom/
We may look at these categories in future blogs.
As a self-employed independent ESL tutor, I do not follow any curriculum laid down by Governing bodies or Schools. My approach is different. I like to get to know the individual person (adult or child) first so that I can understand how they learn and then tailor my lessons to meet each student's needs and desires.
Many students have lost the confidence that they will ever learn English. For example, I have a Syrian refugee who moved into the UK with his family 2 years ago. When he was a boy growing up in Syria he didn't really have an Education. He never learned how to learn. Coming to the UK he really struggled and though his wife and children picked up the language and integrated well into the English culture, he struggled.
He goes to the local college but in the 2 years has remained in the beginners class and was not able to progress to the next classes with his friends.
I've been teaching him for about 3 months and when I did a gentle assessment on him in our first meeting I discovered that he didn't know the English alphabet. Without these building blocks no wonder he wasn't able to read and communicate. He had lost confidence in himself that he had the ability to learn and gave up!
We have 3 x 30 minutes lessons each week. Slowly he is beginning to understand that he actually does have the capacity to learn!
He lives in a small town so wants to learn to drive. The driving lessons are in English so this is giving him the motivation to learn. I am currently finding out the best way of teaching him to read and we are doing relevant vocabulary lessons to help him go for gardening and cleaning jobs, which he is now motivated to do! There's a way to go before he will be ready to take his driving test but it has been really encouraging seeing him grow in confidence over these last months.
I believe that everyone has a key to unlock their potential, sometimes it takes a little bit of help from someone like me who is kind, caring and encouraging to find it!! <3
(Photo Credit Zadara.com)