While science, arts and technology made slow but steady adjustments to teaching and learning, Covid-19 brought a giant leap. It’d be sheer ignorance for anyone to deny the shift in educational status quo. After the shock and trauma that were accomplices of a pandemic, the needs of learners and the expectation of society from educational changed. Consequently, educational stakeholders all over the world, teachers especially, are channeling their efforts to meet the expectations of their learners. These changes have birthed certain strategies for the classroom, and Nigerian teachers must adopt these strategies if we will compete globally.
These strategies are:
1) Blended Classroom: this is a learning structure in which teacher and self-oriented instructions take 50/50. Days of lockdown come upon us more frequently and unexpectedly, and it would be careless to not integrate this learning structure into our educational system.
2) Genius Hour: this is a newly hatched, strictly-learner-oriented approach. It involves giving learners at least an hour a day, with which they can practice and learn whatever it is they desire at their own pace. This allows students to practice and develop genuine love for the things they are passionate about. The advantage of this approach is that it is flexible, and can be incorporated in either the classroom or at home.
3) Digital Citizenship: all students are to be full citizens of digital spaces. This means that they must be trained in ICT, so as to acquire the acumen, which would enable them maneuver online platforms.
4) Gamification: the world is already too serious and depressing, and learning doesn’t have to be some other serious life task. Programming lessons to appear like games, for which the students get rewards is a great way of motivating learners, and making your students smile while they learn.
5) Social Emotional Learning: it is vital that while learners are equipped academically, they are also equipped emotionally. Emotional intelligence in return will develop the affective domain of the learner, and even reduce problems of classroom management.
In summary, the needs of education keep evolving as the world evolves, and these educational strategies and trends are essential for post covid-19 teachers.
