Learning out of happiness ...

Apr 12, 2022

'Children see magic because they look at it' - Christopher Moore

Whatever may be the age and stage in life, our performance depends upon the state of happiness we are in, other things being equal.  Several studies show that happiness is a matter of our decision rather than condition.  When it comes to teaching children and enabling them to learn, the same rule of happiness applies. A happy child, all said and done, is fun to watch, easy to go with, and a pleasure to teach.  It does not take much to be happy yourself as a teacher.  If you are not in a frame of happiness and creativity, how can you ever transfer the same to your children?  Oscar Wilde, a great Irish poet, and playwright once said, 'The best way to make children good is to make them happy.  Dear teachers, there is a difference between working for happiness and working out of happiness.  If you belong to the latter category, your students would be blessed to be so. Happiness is an abstract term until you make it look tangible in your classroom environment.   Your students always look for that moment to be happy, playful, and celebrative.  While they are ready to be drawn to that state of learning out of happiness, do you make it happen in a resourceful way?  If you are not ready as a teacher, what more could you expect of your students?  Let us look at a few steps towards reaching students and ensuring the desired level of learning taking place.

• Create an environment of learning.  Your own emotional state is a part of the environment.

• Ask your students what they like to read. Lead them to read what they like most.

• Avoid domination over them will as far as possible.  Do not make children feel stifled.

• Encourage children to talk and do it more often.  Participate and celebrate their 'moments'.

• Try and encourage different types of learning.  Variety is the best recipe in their learning options.

• Focus on a child's strength and work in that direction in a special way. Demonstrate patience.

• Make every day one of learning, experimenting, and participating.

• Be open to learn from your students. Otherwise, you will miss lots of things yourself.  It is said, 'While we try to teach children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.

By: Dr. N J Shetty,  Ph.D, M.Com, MBA, MA(Psy), PG. DHRM, PG. DMM, LL B, CAIIB, D. TD,   Pragya, Professor, NSOM, Certified NLP Practitioner, Certified Life Coach, Certified OD Coach