THE UNIQUE LEARNERS

Knowing Our Students as Learners

The process of coming to know students as learners is often difficult and
challenging, particularly if the students are struggling with schoolwork.

More than merely acquiring social or administrative information

students' names and ages
something about their friendship circles
a bit about their family backgrounds
a few statistics from their academic record
To maximize learning, we need to dig deeper than this superficial
acquaintance
The Benefits of Knowing Students as Learners
Enables teachers to;
1. Create a psychologically safe environment for every learner.
2. Determine each student's readiness for learning.
3. Identify multiple access points to the curriculum to increase
engagement and success.
4. Develop and demonstrate greater emotional intelligence in
the classroom.
 Creating a Psychologically Safe Environment
Maslow proposed in
his hierarchy of human
needs, basic wants
must be met before
students can turn their
attention to learning
(1999).
 Determining Each Student's Readiness
As teachers, we make
decisions and judgments
daily about the readiness
level of our students.
Lev Vygotsky coined the
expression "the zone of
proximal development
(ZPD) is a way of looking at
readiness, but it is a very
specific kind of readiness
 Identifying Multiple Access Points to the Curriculum

Access points are the connections that

make the content and concepts
relevant to learners, whether through
similar experience, or an interest, or
tapping into their way of thinking.
As teachers get to know each of their
students better, effective access points
become more apparent.
Access points are often areas of student
strength.
 Developing and Demonstrating Greater Emotional
Intelligence
As teachers learn about their students as
individuals, they should enjoy greater
flexibility of thought, greater empathy,
greater patience, and more accurate
attribution of responsibility
Emotional intelligence is particularly
valuable in the global classroom, where
students' experiences, expectations, and
norms may be very different from the
teacher's.
 Learning Profiles
To help you meet the challenge of coming to know your students

1. Biological Traits
Include child's gender, age, physical development, physical disabilities, health,
motor skills, coordination, and diagnosed learning disabilities.

2. Cultural and Societal Factors

Include child's sense of stability, both now and in past; economic status; ethnic
and racial background; cultural identity; language; religion; norms and values;
and gender expectations.
3. Emotional and Social Influences
Include family structure, family history, recent change or loss in the family,
attitude, disposition, peer status, and self-esteem.

4. Academic Performance
Includes evidence of child's concrete or abstract thinking skills, reading skills,
attentional focus, past success, oral language development, written language,
proficiency with sequencing, proficiency with categorization, and proficiency in
identifying logical arguments.

5. Learning Preferences
Include interests, intelligence preferences, learning styles, production styles, and
environmental influences.
 Benefits for Students

Making Students an Integral Part of the Academic

Community
An Increased Motivation to Learn
Independence and Responsibility in Learning
Due Consideration for Student Needs
http://www.slideshare.net/beloniotwinme/diversity-of-learners-33718322
https://www.home-school.com/news/discover-your-learning-style.php
 Why educators need to implement
learner-centered teaching?

Comes from numerous sources:

Learning theories
Research on student learning and student
engagement
Accreditation requirements for professional
programs and college accreditation agencies