A compassionate classroom makes the student create a sense of belonging in him- or herself. One of the main purposes of teachers is to make their students happy, because happy learners are productive learners. But what about the consequences in the aftermath of the student starting to feel insecure and anxious coming to the school?
Fine, here we aren’t talking about the terrible events as experienced by Hannah Baker in “13 Reasons Why”, but still the effects are worth paying attention for. Besides occurring in the physical world, students can also experience bullying through cyber mediums. School bullying is undoubtedly one of the most demoralizing and unpleasant experiences that learners, especially younger ones, witness in the schools and colleges today.
What is a Compassionate Classroom?
This is where the need of a compassionate classroom steps in! A classroom where the learners can sit within the comfort zone of each other and actively share different ideas and opinions for a collective learning. The point is to eliminate any king of unpleasantness and insecurity that can disrupt the mental peace and critical thinking ability of the students.
Why Compassionate Classroom?
A compassionate classroom insists the students to uncover and wear the best version of themselves, all from their own choices and interests. The concept of turning the classroom as close to the ambience of “home” as possible might seem a bit exaggerated, but it is essential if the educator is to bring it into a reality.
Furthermore, such classrooms instill the element of equality and excellence among the students. Now let’s carry our discussion from here to discuss how you can reinforce a compassionate classroom culture in your school.
- Classroom discussions
When students are given the impression that it is safe for them to open up mentally and emotionally, they rightly do so in discussing pressing issues and matters in the classroom. Understandably, the process will be slow, but the change will surely come. Once students firmly believe that they sit in a judgment-free and secure environment, they’ll be more open to active and thriving classroom discussions.
It is always better to encourage students to demonstrate the behavior you want. For instance, show them how to be kind to others, strangers, and even animals. The point is to help them focus more on the positives of a situation than the negatives, this is how they will learn to understand and acknowledge things constructively.
- Indulge in cooperative activities
Ask the students to perform activities that will develop a sense of respect and trust for each other. There are a number of effective collaborative learning games and activities available online that your students can perform within the classroom. Such group-based projects allow the participants to share and learn the subject material from different perspectives in a thought-provoking and conceptual manner.
- Call your own shots
As a professional educator, it is our duty to ensure that students do accomplish their goals and other tasks they have placed their thoughts on. The point is to build the confidence and trust in their abilities. This helps the students to build an appreciative bond among themselves. Besides that, the teacher also has the power to set the boundaries for the students, if they somehow fail to accomplish their mission, they can wave off the momentary hindrance and proceed towards their prime quest.
One of the most critical things you can do as a professional educator is to ask questions, with the aim to keep the learners engaged and attentive in the classroom. In doing so, you will be building personal connections, hence evaluating not only yourself, but also others. Everyone in the classroom should realize that aligning everyone on the same page in any discussion is utterly valuable and necessary, especially when it comes to college or university level education.
Teachers should understand that mental bullying is one of the major concerns that industry experts should prioritize above all other things in order to safeguard the students’ physical and psychological health. And the above tips for creating a compassionate classroom can help you in this regard.
Author Bio
Lara Hawkins is a professional educational psychologist and acquires the experience of working with some of the best colleges from across the globe. Apart from her passion in treating students for possessing a healthy cognitive ability, Lara also works as an accomplished custom assignments writing specialist with a large student base under her belt.