TEFL Course-- Fostered A Safe Learning Environment

        Whether we are adult learners or only beginning our journey through academia, we all look for learning environments that are safe and positive. A safe environment should be safe environmentally, psychologically, sociologically and emotionally. For example, in TEFL class I can really feel that “safe”. Let’s go into details.

        If you ask most adults why they're afraid of public speaking, one of the most common answers that you will get is that they're afraid of being judged. The same concept is true of young students. If they feel like anytime they open their mouth to answer a question they might get judged negatively by their peers, they will stop opening themselves up. Study shows that children, particularly toddlers, learn by playing and exploring. In a safe and cheerful environment, they are eager and enthusiastic about exploring and playing. In a negative environment, then children may be more inhibited, reticent, afraid to try. Learning requires mistakes, but kids in negative environments don’t feel safe making mistakes. And they would put their heads down and just get through. Sometimes they just try not to be noticed. Sometimes we – teachers and parents - mistake that fear for good behavior. When children try to learn in overly stressful environments, new input literally cannot get through to the memory and association circuits of the brain. This isn’t just theory; it’s supported by neuroimaging. The brain systemically resists learning when it’s fearful, stressed, or otherwise threatened.

        As children cannot benefit from a negative environment, fostering a safe and positive learning environment is more important. And teacher is the key part of a safe and positive environment in classroom. Teacher should ensure a classroom environment comfortable and welcoming to help children to feel accepted—feel free to be themselves and to express themselves without the fear or threat of rejection, ridicule or ostracism; let them know that differing opinions are a great thing and that being "wrong" isn't a bad thing. Remind them that failure is a learning experience.

        TEFL Teacher should also understand of children’s learning styles, abilities and skills - not all students learn in the same way - some students perform better when they work individually, others need group support. Some are auditory, others are visual, kinesthetic, or tactile learners. It could be a tall order to meet the diverse learning needs of the students in the class. We need consider multiple needs when we apply a classroom activity.

        Teacher should know that a cooperative classroom is better than a competitive one. Although some healthy competition is good, children will face the real-world challenge of competition, think independently and try do their best. In the cooperative classroom, children learn important cooperative social skills that they will need later in their working lives. And they can actually learn better when they also help teach other students. Those children who might be left behind in a more competitive environment can be brought up to speed by their peers.

        All in all, a teacher has the ability to create the best or the worst memories of learning and shape the direction that the learner may take. Especially for the teachers who completed the TEFL training program and got the certificate. If we are to really make a difference for our learners, we must help create the optimal conditions for learning to occur. Let’s get it right and play it safe from the beginning.

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