Alejandra M.

I think building trust with the student is central to my teaching. Being a learner is not only natural to humans but is also very admirable, so I believe students should never be scared to ask questions or to make mistakes in my classes. Furthermore, I believe that everyone can learn anything with the appropriate tools and support, so I will always encourage my students and make sure they have the necessary resources to succeed.

Firstly, I would try and get to know the student: hobbies, favorite subjects, what they might want to study in the future, etc. in order to both create a link with them and to figure out how they learn and which ways are the best for them to acquire knowledge. Then, it really depends on what they need help with; if we're working on an IA/EE I would first try to create a vision of what they want it to look like by reading examples and linking the work to the class content. If they need help with the content of the subject itself, I would provide resources I have/make as well as apply some learning techniques that I think would fit for the specific student. Overall, my goal in the first session is to make sure to create a connection so the student isn't afraid to ask questions etc. as well as give them useful tools that will be effective in the short term so they gain confidence and aren't discouraged.

As a student myself I have (possibly) tried all learning techniques available on the internet and I have learned for which type of learner they work best. Moreover, as an IB student specifically the most important way of becoming independent is learning how to provide the answers examiners are looking for, so I would aid the students in understanding command terms, simplifying subject guides, practice questions, essay techniques, etc. so they can later on their own be able to recognize what is being asked of them, both in IB exams and during further education.

I would first like to learn about their goals and the things they like which will often motivate students to stay on track. Something that I've seen also helps students is a review of the previous content, it not only helps in keeping the knowledge fresh but also shows them they are capable of reproducing knowledge in that specific subject. All that along with some positive reinforcement will ensure the student stays motivated!

I would use the knowledge I have on that specific student in order to know how they might learn best. Perhaps they are very visual learners and reading endless papers doesn't help them. In that case, I would look for resources online or even create my own (presentations, interactive games, etc.) so that they have the same content in different formats. I would also look for past paper questions where you can find the specific concept they are struggling with, it often helps to see exactly how that knowledge is going to be asked in the final exam.

I struggle with reading comprehension myself and following a bachelor's that's mainly based around readings I've gathered different tips. What I believe helps the most when reading is highlighting throughout the reading, so, I would maybe create a small reading guide for the specific chapter/article they need to read with questions to look for in the text (and highlight), this will keep them engaged and help them to sythesise the information they are reading. Furthermore, I would also look for resources in other types of media (videos, interactive games etc.).

As mentioned previously, I think it's crucial and very effective to form a connection with the student and really know what their hobbies and goals are. By knowing this I can better motivate them and adjust my classes to their learning styles and in turn, they feel more comfortable asking questions and making mistakes if they see me as approachable.

Firstly, seeing the real-life use/value of a subject really helps so I would make sure they are aware of the usefulness of that knowledge. Furthermore, making learning "fun" and "easy" will make them excited, so finding alternative content is crucial to keeping them engaged.

To see a process, I would have them do the same practice questions at the beginning of our class and at the end of reviewing the content. I also like to have my students do mini-presentations explaining the content back to me, this helps them synthesize the content, therefore, acquiring it more efficiently.

I have a very clear strategy for this and it's called "arrastre" ("drag" in Spanish). I have used this myself and with some of my students, and it's not only an effective study method but it also helps a lot with confidence! It basically consists of alternating between new content and review of old content, this allows them to build confidence when they see they do in fact understand the subject even if they're struggling with the current content.

Usually, in the first class, I am able to tell if they need help reviewing, absorbing information, or understanding the content itself. I do so by asking how they feel about the subject and by seeing them interact with the content (so by seeing them explain what they've learned etc.).

I try to keep a very clear and open line of communication with the student, so they feel completely comfortable asking me to go over the content or to give them more tools. If they don't communicate directly to me what they need I usually like to give them many options of doing one thing/ different explanations for a single thing. For example, some students struggle with attention so in that case, I would make sessions more dynamic and change activities fairly quickly to keep them engaged (even if it's all on the same topic). On the contrary, if a student needs to spend extended time on a certain topic, I will provide them the space to do so and useful tools to work on that certain task.

I like to make use of presentations and a lot of visual and interactive tools, namely Kahoot, Quizlet, etc. I also enjoy using shared documents, whiteboards, or things like where I can draw and make diagrams as I make explanations.