Personal Coaching & Learning Styles

Sreenidhi S K · #1 (**permalink**) 06-07-2008, 09:57 PM

Much of the excitement and reward for education is found in the continuing search for better ways of working with children with different learning styles. One has to be constantly on the alert to discover more about how children learn. This will benefit finding new learning, teaching and training approaches that can be put into practice. In order to create better learning opportunities for children it is essential to take a closer look at programs that provide for differentiated or individualised learning.

q “I can’t understand why Joanne has such a short attention span. All the others can pay attention when instructions are given.”

q “That Albert is certainly a slow starter. He must have been born lazy.”

q “Well, I don’t know, Ms Suzanne, this young daughter of yours is a very reluctant learner. Nothing I do seems to motivate her to do better. Maybe you should take her to the specialist at the clinic.”

q “Your son is not able to concentrate in the class. Maybe he needs individual attention.”

q “I can’t understand what the other teachers have been doing all these years. How does anyone expect me to teach them when they can’t even read?”

q “They are all of the same age and have all been through primary four. Is it wrong to expect that they would all be able to read these primary five books.”

Does it sound ridiculous? Yes, of course for sure. No one really expects to have the same achievement level, the same rate of learning, the same performance levels and that too from such a variety of youngsters with all their individual differences…

Just what do we expect from our youngsters? Is it uniformity of achievement and similar capabilities?

Now take a look at the way we prepare for the school, year after year and a new batch of youngsters. The days at school, some rituals are carefully planned and executed, briefing sessions and talks followed by functions and competitions are part of the education. They tell us a lot on what we expect from our children and what we expect of education. It is all about teaching and parenting conventions, classroom and family cultures and learning environment at both at school and at home.

It is about the establishment of the we-you orientation: We the authority figures – you the subjects; we impart knowledge and wisdom – you the receivers; we the determiners of content and direction – you the followers. This message reinforced over a period of time has a lasting impact on the sub-conscious mind. This is how mind-sets are formed about one self. Depending on how they are compartmentalised or labelled, the effects follow.

Labelling & Mental Images, Models & Expectations

Another ritual that we follow is that of standardisation. We have built ourselves a series of mental expectations to serve as reference points by age and/or by level. We have a expectation for the one year old, a expectation for the five year old, a expectation for primary four, primary six, secondary 2 for example and the like. Each expectation is based, so we say, on research and statistical analysis of what the average person of a particular age or particular level is like. This expectation tells us how they should behave, what their interests will be, what it is important for them to learn, how well they can read, their level of thinking and reasoning ability and so on.

Some of us, who are more aware, understand that not all youngsters will fit the “average” model, and so we have built additional models that we call the slow learner or the gifted learner. Armed with these mental images, we set about our lives to mould the youngsters into recognisable copies of the most suitable model.

Self-esteem & Self confidence

The learning programme can often be changed or modified to suit this mental model. The gifted can be given tasks one or two levels higher. They can be given extra projects. On the other hand the slow learner can be given tasks one or two levels lower. All the time we continue to label the individual and thereby affect his/her self-esteem and self- confidence. What is your major concern in educating your children? Is it to mould the child to fit the pattern or system that you already have in your mind or to alter and change the pattern to fit their strengths, intelligence and capabilities?

The positive view of the self is the key if an individual is to realise his / her potential as a human being. The enabling or disabling factor is the individual’s view of self. In other words, what the individual is, is not as important to his/her ability to perform as to what one thinks he /she is. An individual’s concept of oneself is the product of his/her perceptions of the way in which one is viewed and treated by others. The person who has been accepted, respected and considered capable by others is the person who will see oneself as acceptable, worthy and able.

Create Opportunities, Don’t Wait

When it comes to self-motivation and self-enhancement, an individual will naturally tend to select and do those things that are good for his/her growth. It is necessary for him/her to have opportunities for concrete experiences with things, with people and with their own feelings. Opportunities for creativity, aesthetic experiences and an identification and involvement with others are absolutely essential. As an individual experiences things for which he/she feels naturally ready for, he/she will find meaning, satisfaction and success. It is the adults readiness to help children build on such success experiences by first getting them to believe that they are capable and that they can do it.

The home or school environment in which an individual finds himself/herself can either foster or inhibit the growth of a positive self-concept. The crucial factor is the social interaction with adults and others that tells a person who he/she is and how good he/she is. The reaction to oneself and one’s behaviour that he/she sees in others determines one’s reaction to oneself. If the reaction is positive, it enhances his/her openness to new experiences and one’s willingness to attempt new challenges.

Learning is to be Experienced

Most children entering school are at the stage of development where they are still learning to deal comfortably with symbols, including language. Thought processes are basically intuitive as opposed to logical. At this point in one’s life, a child’s reasoning is dominated by perception- if it looks like more, then it is more. Some time during the three-year period between ages five and seven, a major modification of the child’s mental structure occurs. The new structure permits the child to reason logically although this reasoning is still based on concrete experiences. Abstract reasoning and the ability to consider multiple-dimensions simultaneously are not fully realised until the child has reached the age of about 15 to 16.

Psychologist Jean Piaget’s work deals with progressive intellectual development of children and provides guidelines for the sequencing of learning activities, for the readiness or timing factor in introducing new ideas and new skills and for training / teaching strategies or methods of instruction. On the other hand, perceptual psychology can serve as a base upon which to build human interaction aspects of education, and it can provide a rationale for the type of quality of activities to be presented to the students in a group.

Individual Differences

The fact that children progress along a continuum of mental development at different rates indicates the necessity for adjusting the timing for presentation of new kinds of learning activities to individual children. If a child’s mental structure at a given time defines the possibilities and impossibilities for thinking, it is, at best, unrealistic to ask the child to attempt a task of which he/she is incapable merely because the average child of similar age can do it.

For years educators around the world have verbalised the concept of meeting individual differences. Yet learning instruction continues to be built around the grade-level text and workbooks, a practice which assumes not only uniformity of previous achievement and reading ability but also uniformity of mental structures and reasoning abilities. Aren’t such assumptions wrong? We cannot force a child to learn. We can however, prepare for the child an environment rich with physical and social support that can contribute to one’s learning. At the same time it is important to provide concrete, manipulative materials and firsthand live experiences.

Encouraging Interpersonal Relationships

The quality of interpersonal relationships at the place of learning, be it home or school should stem from a sincere effort to provide an environment conducive to the growth of positive self-concepts. The way a student perceives oneself and his/her abilities will depend in large part on the way he/she is perceived by his/her peers, teachers and parents. A positive, supportive and encouraging atmosphere is essential.

Success is a Habit

Recognition of the fact that children cannot reason with adult-like thought patterns enables the adults to hold more realistic expectations regarding their behavioural possibilities. Realistic expectations and supportive responses are necessary along with provision of suitable learning activities and adequate opportunity for self-selection of those experiences. More and more successful experiences, many small successes help prepare the child for that big step. This is vital for the development of positive self-image. So ask yourself whether you are giving them a habit of success or a habit of failure. Are you finding fault and criticising or let them learn from mistakes by empathising, positive probing and encouraging.

Multiple Intelligence & Learning Style

Applying the Multiple Intelligence model of Dr Howard Gardner, every person is capable of performing to his/her utmost if and only if one can identify his/her learning style and help match that learning style with an appropriate teaching style. Another key dimension to note is that all are intelligent in some or the other of the multiple intelligence. So let’s identify where the strengths are and train them with a focus on their strengths. All intelligence is linked and hence it is easier to help a child perform better and benefit by the intelligence in which they are dominant. You are bound to succeed in your efforts.

Choose A Personal Coach

A personal coach is one who is familiar with a wide variety of approaches to learning and has a knack for matching the “right” style with the right individual at the right time. The personal coach makes certain that the learning programme is flexible and varied yet organised and controlled. It is based on a realistic understanding of what to expect from each individual, and a skill in identifying the individual’s uniqueness. They are familiar with many approaches for differentiating and customising learning to suit individual learning styles. If the best of sports people still need coaches, if business managers need personal business coaches, can your child be left behind?

A personal coach uses both formal and informal diagnostic procedures so as to find out about the individual’s abilities, interests, strengths and weaknesses. A personal coach works at modifying the individual’s behaviour for the better. So the personal coach has the behavioural objectives. The personal coach has to deal with environmental factors and challenges faced by the individual in terms of space, time, training materials along with the emotional and psychological atmosphere. Now when it comes to action the personal coach will rely on experiences and case studies of a variety of approaches to differentiated learning opportunities. They are ever ready with practical ways of applying ideas and guidelines to benefit the individual. So your child will surely pick up the success habit.

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Training today is not just about delivering the subject matter. It is a science and art that caters to the requirements of an individual holistically. Behavior based T & D approach deals with the individuals considering the psychological concepts of learning and unlearning: Mindsets, Attitudes and Habits to ensure that learning is not just implemented but motivates to use and reuse the same. It ensures that the learner is equipped to explore and innovate beyond the learning to add value.

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Look forward to be help in your quest to be a Professional in Training

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