How much do we invest in our educators?
In today’s time, meeting student learning demands a range of skills from educators and teachers. As the guides responsible for developing the leaders of tomorrow, teachers require a range of skills that include personal and social qualities such as resourcefulness, motivation and open-mindedness for them to be able to facilitate effective learning.
While these skills are often acquired by experience and practice, they need to be honed in order to be applied well. That is where educational development comes in handy.
What is Educational Development?
Educational development is the practice of helping teachers and educators become masters of their professions through one-on-one assistance, workshops, resources, and other methods. It is also a sub-discipline of higher education practice and research that enhances and supports the development and design of student learning experiences.
Educational development also refers to being broader than faculty development, as it covers curriculum, instructional, organisational, and other aspects of faculty development. This means that everything should be done systematically to ensure that teachers and faculty members are fully equipped and ready to foster student learning.
Some examples of educational development include teacher training workshops that can help educators level their knowledge and skills in educating young minds.
Areas of Educational Development
Educational development is essential in addressing and improving the abilities of teachers and educators. This is the start of building a society focused on accomplishing progressive results.
Here are some areas of educational development needed to help students excel in school and become better, more productive members of society.
Cognitive Development
Cognitive development refers to the development of one’s way of thinking, capabilities, perceptions, interactions, and communications with others. It is the process that helps young minds understand the relationship between ideas, improve their analytical skills, and grasp the cause-and-effect process. Therefore, cognitive skills can help children better communicate and understand the world around them.
Some activities that can develop children’s cognitive skills include playing with shapes and colours, asking many questions, engaging in outdoor play, doing art, listening to music, and going on field trips. Aside from that, teachers must also provide varied learning strategies based on the student’s cognitive skill levels.
Societal Development
Societal development is an essential process that will help young students interact better with their peers and other members of society. This is especially useful for those who feel shy or hesitant to voice their opinions, making them lag behind their classmates or friends. Societal development is a way to build up students’ confidence and improve their social skills, allowing them to form and sustain positive relationships, engage, and explore their environments, and experience and express their emotions effectively.
Teachers must always be observant to figure out what students are struggling with. They must create a supportive atmosphere, share real experiences, stimulate discussions, and model appropriate behaviours.
Language Development and Literacy
Language development is a combination of cognitive and social development, as it helps young people become better at communication. Communication or language development allows them to be more confident, proficient, and competent enough to converse with others and convey their thoughts and feelings more accurately.
This is one of the benefits of enrolling in development training. Through programmes such as our teacher training workshops in Singapore and Asia, educators can guide their students to improve their language skills. By developing students’ communication skills, they can assess and express their feelings better and comprehend faster than others, which are essential skills for maintaining healthy relationships, whether in school or at work.
Physical Development
Aside from improving students’ mental and social skills, it is also essential for teachers to help young people develop physically. Through physical development, young people will be able to participate in sports or activities, which will help them build healthier bodies and stronger bones and muscles. Physical activities will also improve motor skills so they can better use and control their bodies.
For teachers to encourage physical development, they can provide students with plenty of opportunities for free movement and indoor and outdoor motor play.
Creative Development
Creativity is an eagerness to create something new and unique, which helps people cope with the modern world. Developing students’ creativity can thrive in a world where new technologies and methods are constantly introduced. Moreover, they will be able to look for opportunities to develop things that help improve the world.
Teachers can create a classroom environment with a few elements of creativity to make the lessons more interactive and exciting. They also need to mix team-building activities with their curriculum to teach students about creative thinking and being innovative and expressive.
Moral Development
More than people’s cognitive, social, physical, communication, and creative skills, teachers must also guide students to become morally developed. Young people must be knowledgeable about ethics and proper behaviour for them to always be mindful of their values and be connected with their cultures and traditions. Morally developed children are able to tell what is right from wrong. They will be able to weigh the consequences of their actions. They will also be able to easily conform to community standards, laws, and general principles.
Conclusion
No society can ever progress if its population is not educated to have the knowledge, advanced techniques, and innovative technologies to help its people develop. Educational development supports a country’s goal to develop its students’ learning experiences, helping them thrive in tomorrow’s challenges. After all, teachers who are fully aware of their strengths teach better and create better students who grow into well-rounded adults.
StrengthsAsia is a corporate learning and development leader in helping build stronger, better leaders, teachers, and teams. We can tailor workshops, including teacher training workshops in Singapore and Asia, online corporate training programs, and team-building workshops to suit your needs. Get in touch with us today here to know more about our services.
