Learning is relatively permanent products of experiences that come out as a result of the interaction between individual and environment. A part of a person’s all learning’s occur incidentally while an important part of it occurs in a specially structured learning environment in a planned and programmed manner. It is an accepted fact that teachers are usually not born but made. Good teachers nurture their knowledge and skills through constant and deliberate efforts. One of the prerequisite to be good teacher is to understand the teaching learning process in more depth. This facilitates better appreciation of the teaching profession as well as the process of imparting education. Having or producing grade “A” students as a teacher is very possible and achievable if only you understand certain techniques to use. The effect of teacher’s quality in producing grade “A” students can be seen the students competence in handling undergraduate project topics and research writing, seminar, paper and conferences
TEACHING AND LEARNING
Teaching is a set of events, outside the learners which are designed to support internal process of learning. Teaching (Instruction) is outside the learner. Learning is internal to learners. You cannot motivate others if you are not self-motivated. Motives are not seen, but, Behaviors are seen. Is learning a motive or behavior? Learning is both a motive and behavior but only behavior is seen, learning is internal, performance is external.
Learning is about a change. The change brought about by developing a new skill, understanding a scientific law, changing an attitude. The change is not merely incidental or natural in the way that our appearance changes as we get older. Learning is a relatively permanent change, usually brought about intentionally. When we attend a course, search through a book, or read a discussion paper, we set out to learn!
Other learning can take place without planning, for example by experience. Generally with all learning there is an element within us of wishing to remember and understand why something happens and to do it better next time.
HOW TO PRODUCE GRADE “A” STUDENTS
A) DO NOT EXPECT PERFECTION FROM YOUR STUDENTS
One way to produce grade “A” students is not expecting perfection from your students. The understanding that everyone is not perfect will help you as a teacher in knowing how to handle all your students and the different technique to use in teaching and learning. Every student has his/her level of learning. There are fast learners and there are slow learners so understand these levels of students and follow them up the way they are that way you can get the best from them.
B) ENCOURAGE THEM INSTEAD OF CRITICIZING THEM
As a teacher if you must criticize then it should be a constructive criticism, do not critics so break the student or make him/her feel less of him/herself. There is always room for improvement that is why it is important that you understand each students’ level of understanding and learning that way you can derive the best teaching technique to fit everyone’s level of understanding and retentiveness. What most students need is encouragement and not destructive criticism as it can lower their morale instead increasing it and instead of improving their confidence it can deter it.
C) ALWAYS TEACH WITH ILLUSTRATION
Teaching with illustrations has a way of sticking in the memory of students than teaching with illustrations. When teachers illustrate, students tend to have the picture stuck in their head than when it is theories with no practical illustrations. Whatever the eyes sees sticks faster than what it been said. Therefore, teachers at all level must inculcate the habit of teaching and learning with practical illustrations that way, students can learn faster and retain as well.
D) ORGANIZE QUIZ FOR YOUR STUDENTS
Testing your students once in a while or after each lesson is advised and encouraged that way you are able to know how well they understood what you taught whether theory or practical. Students also tend to pay more attentively when they know they are going to be writing quiz on any of the topics been taught or just concluded lesson.
Organizing a quiz will also help improve students’ ability to learn and retain as well as teat their learning ability and level that way teachers will know where they need to concentrate and improve on in terms of teaching and learning.
E) ENCOURAGE GROUP READING AMONG THEM
Last but not the least is to encourage group reading among students. Group reading is very important and highly encouraged as far as academics are concerned. When students read in groups, they learn from their colleagues as some students have shown to have a better understanding of subjects when explained by their fellow students or reading partners than when taught in the classroom by teachers. They also get to ask each other questions and possibly give themselves assignment that way their academic performance is improved.
CONCLUSION
Conclusively, for teachers to produce grade “A” students they must first of all understand their students and the different level of understanding and learning speed they posses that way they can derive the best method and technique to use in teaching and learning. Teachers should try as much as possible not to talk down ion any students no matter his/her level of understanding and retentiveness as doing that will only demoralize the students and kill the little morale in him/her. Every student need to be given a chance to grow and improve. Set all machineries to improve him/her in academic performance.