Happiness in the classroom helps enhance the learning experiences of students. While learning must be taken seriously, it can also be made interactive and experiential. By allocating time to create happiness in the classroom, a teacher not only encourages knowledge but also paves way for personal development of the students.
According to a research, happy students tend to learn better. Psychologists have found a strong link between happiness and success. They have also found a positive correlation between happiness and academic achievement.
Tips to encourage positive attitude in students:
Happiness is created when a person has a positive outlook towards different situations. A teacher can encourage a positive attitude in the students, by following certain tips:
1. Set an example
Students tend to be happy when the teachers are happy. Teachers set examples for students to follow.
2. Create a positive learning atmosphere
A positive learning atmosphere is one where the students are actively involved in the classroom. Teachers can include activities and discussions in the classroom to create a positive atmosphere.
3. Eliminate negativity
The classroom tends to become a little negative especially during exams and when the results are declared. Encouraging words from the teacher will lighten the atmosphere in the classroom and will do away with the negativity.
4. Encourage students
Students often need a push to do well. A small word of encouragement from the teacher motivates the students to learn and grow.
5. Incorporate rewards to encourage positivity
Rewards are known to motivate students to perform better in the classroom. When rewards are combined with learning, the students are encouraged to actively involve themselves in the classroom.
What can be done to turn the classroom into a ‘happy’ place?
Here are some ideas that can be adopted to turn the classroom into a happy and creative space:
1. Take learning outside the classroom
Children respond better to learning when the monotony is reduced. Teachers can plan a field day or an outdoor learning day to encourage the students to learn outside the classroom. This also encourages the students to not restrict their learning to the classroom. Students can also be encouraged to be curious about their surroundings and question everything around them.
2. Create music
According to the famous psychologist Howard Gardner, music is considered as one of the components of multiple intelligences. An inclination towards music is said to develop the brain’s functioning. Teachers can bring in an element of music into the classroom, where students can be encouraged to pen down songs on topics like elements of the periodic table, mathematical formulas, tenses in language, events from history, etc. Students can also sing and have their own musical band.
3. Involve movement
Students learn better when they move around. Teachers can either introduce warm-up activities before starting the class or can have games during the class. This can include movement-based games like scavenger hunts and dumb charades to turn the classroom into a happy place for the students. Teachers can also encourage socialising among the students, where students learn by interacting with each other.
4. Incorporate quiet time
Sometimes doing nothing helps turn the classroom into a happy place. Teachers can introduce the students to the concept of quiet time, where the students can engage in activities like drawing, solving a puzzle, writing or doing some quiet work. This helps the students to relax mentally, physically and emotionally. A quiet time of 15 minutes will prep the students and the teachers for the class.
5. Spend time getting to know the students
Teachers can make learning fun and turn the classroom into a happy place by merely spending time with the students. Getting to know the students will help establish a bond between the students and the teacher. The students will feel motivated to learn and the classroom be turn into a highly productive space.will
By following the tips and incorporating the strategies into the classroom, a teacher can make learning fun and turn the classroom into a happy place for students.