Create learning environment to build students’ confidence - Teachers urged
The Principal of Ghana International School (GIS), Dr Mary Ashun, has called on educators to create a classroom environment that builds the confidence of learners.
Speaking at the second International Educators Summit in Accra last Friday, she said fostering welcoming classroom environments where mistakes were seen as learning opportunities rather than sources of ridicule was the surest way to build the confidence of students to succeed.
Teachers, he said, could effectively begin this by first understanding child development beyond academic milestones.
“It starts with the educator understanding the child, and then after understanding the child, putting in measures to create an environment in your classroom where every child is welcome, no child is ridiculed in class because maybe they got something wrong.
“The child put their hands up.
They answered the question, it was wrong, and you tell them, No, it was wrong. Go and study harder, and all the other children will laugh.
That does not build confidence in a child,” she said.
Summit
Organised by the Ghana Chapter of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), the International Educators Summit for stakeholders in the education ecosystem was on the theme: “Innovation for impact: Leading and learning together for sustainable development”.
Youth empowerment and leadership, lifelong learning and skills for the future, placing students at the centre, transforming learning through leadership were among the themes discussed.
More than 400 people from different parts of the world attended the summit in person, with about 300 joining online.
Reflection
Reflecting on her own educational journey in her formative years in Ghana before moving abroad, Dr Ashun shared insights on how building confidence in children was essential for their development and future success.
She recounted her early experiences in part-time schooling, identifying gaps in her preparation, particularly in English fluency and self-confidence.
She said that many teachers in public schools did not do what she described as a “very good job” here to build the confidence of children.
As a result, she said many students felt intimidated by authority figures in the classroom, often afraid to ask questions that could enhance their understanding.
She, therefore, called for a collective effort to empower students through confidence-building practices in education.
The Executive Director of Ghana ASCD, Dr Charles Yeboah, stressed the importance of quality professional learning for educators in Ghana; hence, his outfit put in a lot of effort to bring high-calibre educational conferences to the country.
He added that professional development was critical in improving educational outcomes for all students, calling for a collective effort to enhance the quality of education in the country.
He also emphasised the need for a shift in Ghana's educational approach, advocating the integration of 21st-century skills into the curriculum.
