Student engagement is one almost unattainable trend in k-12 education these days. Online teaching has resulted in an all-time low teacher-student interaction.
Communities had disappeared for almost a year. With the decrease in covid cases, education is reviving again.
Research shows that schools with largest community engagement rates are bound to do well. Students do well in academics and the school sees success.
A few tips that teachers can make use of to increase community engagement are listed below.
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Keep The Students On The Move
Children are good receptors of anything that involves fun and adventure. Active kids are easy to engage in and keep busy.
Children who are always on the move are prone to have stronger focus, emotional management, better memory, and fast cognitive processing.
Kids who tend to stay stagnant in one place do not display these advantages. Constant movement increases energy and engagement in kids.
Some way to spruce up movement is by using the wiggle balls that kids can roll on. These huge balls are great means of an easy and fun activity.
Kids love articles that are either 10 times larger or 10 times smaller than the original size. Moving seats also work as amazing energy stimulators.
Yoga sessions can also work as calming and therapeutic stimuli to a child. The wiggle balls can be used for smaller kids. Older students will not be very attracted to these activities.
To source up their community engagement, a calm mind is very necessary. Regular but fun yoga classes can help kids maintain fun energy in class.
Teachers can invest in brain breaks for the students. Students tend to learn better when indulging in stretching exercises and mobile learning.
Physical movement in students helps them memorise their lessons easily. Engaging students in non-traditional activities are bound to pique their community engagement.
Give Each Student Their Time
Every student is unique and has their own processing time. Individual kids have different paces of grasping and analysing situations.
Teachers need to keep in mind the average pacing of the class while indulging in community activities.
Poaching can include several things. The pace of class content, the deadlines for assignments, and the pace of the lesson, all comprise the moving of a classroom.
If a child is not capable of catching up with the class they are bound to feel excluded. This will dissuade them from classroom activities, let alone community engagement.
Teachers can start with a slow pace and move to a faster one, keeping in mind the comfort of the students. Riverbed increases in the momentum of the class can keep individual students engaged.
Community engagement should be approached similarly. Students should not be pushed head first into the activities. Slow prep ups and initial distaste are common.
However, with repeated efforts, students will get used to the community setup and might even enjoy it.
Finding balance in both the academic and community sector can give children the boost needed for increased engagement.
Use Theatrical Elements.
Community events are seen as something boring and not interesting. This is a myth teachers can break. Theatrical events and activities are bound to interest the students in the community events.
Students are more likely to participate in the events they are interested in. Teachers can work along with the community directors and create events that are student-centric yet useful for the community.
Children should be involved in the activities to boost their self-confidence and critical thinking. Having control over their activities gives them a sense of enthusiasm and control.
Adults in the community service areas should also pique their ideas to encourage the students. New and updated activities are a need when it comes to community activities. A huge number of activities can overwhelm the kids and throw them apart.
Friendly competition between the students and the community can enhance the relationship. Students will feel a sense of family with the community and get to know them better.
Student-to-student relations can be improved through this as well. When the students compete in a group, they will feel a sense of belonging to their classmates. Competitions can also work as the enjoyment factor in the otherwise drab community services.
Student-Friendly Incentives Can Go A Long Way.
In some cases, students need some kind of incentive to make their work fun and rewarding. Teachers can include student-friendly rewards at the end of the community service.
The service the students give in can be added to their grades. Students can be treated to a hearty meal at the end of the engagement.
If incentives in the form of grades feel uncomfortable, students can be awarded special points that will act as a booster at the end of the academic year. Small prizes and items can also serve as great rewards.
Understandably, a teacher should not have to pay to increase students’ community engagement.
To overcome this, the school can spare some amount from their monthly budget to invest in the character development of students.
Students who do not participate in community events do not get points or incentives. Healthy competition can be created in class with this method.
Community engagement can be made fun of with a few adventures and out-of-the-box ideas.
Start With Building A Classroom Community.
Community work should start in the early stages of a child’s education. This will accustom them to working with a larger community in the future.
The teacher can build a classroom community. Students can role-play as normal people and get used to how community engagement works.
Students should be included in classroom politics. They can make classroom rules, assign tasks and give out important posts to students who deserve them.
This way the kids can get hands-on experience on what to expect in their community service days.
They can work in a compact space inside the school and volunteer to clean the surroundings once in a while. They can help the other workers to keep the school complex clear.
Community service should start at the root level, only then the students can get used to a large area.
Conclusion
Community engagement can be a difficult activity to engage students in. kids prefer to spend time within themselves, however, community engagement is one way to enhance a child’s social and character development. Teachers should indulge in positive reinforcements to facilitate the child’s development.
