Photo credit: Monrovia Public Library
Student engagement. That’s a buzzword that’s been around since the days of the one-room schoolhouse. Even our education has reached the online portal, student engagement still represents the threshold of a tutor’s ultimate goals.
The difference between a passive student and an active learner is determined in the stakes a student puts into his or her work. In other words, if the goal is nothing other than a “good grade,” many students will do the bare minimum.
There’s an important distinction between getting good grades and applying what a student has learned. While there’s nothing wrong with having a report card filled with As and Bs, it’s more important that education makes a positive impact on students’ lives.
Therein lies the central principle behind active learning. As an online tutor, you’ll most likely question whether or not your students are passive or active in your classroom.
Many common questions tutors have include…
- What goes through a students mind while they’re in the “trenches” of the classroom?
- What are students interested in academically?
- How do tutors tell the difference between passive and active learning?
That last one is the kicker. But we’ve got a few identifiers that help tutors understand how their students react to the course material.
1. The student will ask many questions.
Questions denote active learning. If you want to know more, it means you’re naturally curious. And curiosity is a foundational element of the desire to learn.
2. The student will wonder “what else?”
When the student goes beyond the textbook, he or she has taken a giant leap forward in the learning process. No longer is it a “have to know” situation, it is now a “want to know” dynamic, which provides a much richer learning experience.
3. The student will exude a sense of wonder.
Wonder, as an emotion, is often a benchmark of children, but even adult students will showcase that sense that anything is possible when they’re truly engaged with their schoolwork.
And in that case—as a tutor, you’ve won.
Share your thoughts in the comments below!