Posted 30-01-2018
AIS- Learners Counseling
There are various ways of measuring learners' progress. But there are instances where a few students find it hard to meet the expectations set for them. There might be different reasons for this. The school counselor plays a vital role here where in he/she leaves no stone unturned in helping the students to overcome their short comings to a great extent.
Counseling involves talking through the strengths and weaknesses of the students. It is an interactive process in which they are able to say how they feel about their learning, the course, and their teacher.
Why counseling is important?
Traditionally, learners take courses, tests are set and marks are given. This is a fairly linear process.
Counseling allows assessment to become more dynamic and interactive. It also gives learners a sense of ownership over the assessment process.
By giving learners the chance to open up and talk about the state of their learning, counselor help avoid sudden unexplained loss of interest. It may highlight strengths and weaknesses in the teaching process, so it is a chance for a teacher to obtain feedback as a teacher as well.
For example, When working with a group of grade 9 students, who are not doing well in the assessments because they have been told to, rather than because they want to. They have other things on their mind and motivation is low.
In a situation like this, test performance might be quite poor if they have not spent much time revising. So the counselor might decide to focus on the following:
· Where they were at the beginning of the academic year versus where they feel they are now
· The barriers they feel exist in their learning and how to overcome them
· Their goals for the future and how they hope to achieve them in manageable, discrete steps.
Introduction of activities throughout the academic year that encourage learners to focus on their own learning is a good way to motivate the students to perform well. One way to do this is through self-assessment
The other point is to be consistent. Students will get used to counseling when it is applied consistently and thoroughly and if they can see good results.
All too often, students’ performance is poor because they feel their needs are not being met. This is not necessarily the fault of the teacher, but because they have never had the chance to talk about their progress, resulting in a feeling that they have never really ‘owned’ the course. Integrating counseling in the assessment process as done in Azaan International School the best International School in Hyderabad will bring a lot of difference in the teaching and learning methods.
Kahkashan Jabeen - The Best International School in Hyderabad.
School Counselor