Cute Classroom vs. Effective Classroom

These days education industry has indeed become a great source of making money. Not just primary and secondary schools, even play schools have become a great hub of money making. World class infrastructure, comfortable facilities, CCTV cameras and what not. We want our children to be a part of the highest class, modern and comfortable classroom. This has increased competition among schools.

Both teachers and parents are stressed about being the best and giving the best possible facilities to the kids of today. Often in this race of being the best, schools lose behind their major motive of imparting quality education to the kids. Practically, the students can do without cute colourful classrooms, air conditioners, modern day facilities but cannot do without quality education. The schools should make sure that they do not compromise on the quality of education in the urge of earning money. Sometimes the urge of making a perfect cute classroom can even do harm to the students. Six instances of this kind are:

(i) When cuteness takes over effectiveness: An efficient teacher must understand the difference between cute and effective. Sometimes teachers opt for things or activities, assignments that are cute but not very effective. That should never be the criteria of choosing an activity.

(ii) When we start to feel inadequate: A teacher’s mental stress or personal, professional life and issues should not affect a teacher’s marking standards. It is often seen that when a teacher is very strict and not in a good mood, that often shows in the poor or say less marks that she awards the students. This should not be the case.

(iii) When it lacks practicality: A classroom must be clean, perfect looking and mess free, but is that really possible? The answer is No. Therefore, a teacher must understand that her urge for perfection should not come in the path of a student’s natural growth.

(iv) When it is exclusive: The teacher must not design the classroom only as per her / his choices. A teacher should cater to the likes and dislikes of her students while designing the classroom only then will the students like it.

(v) When it becomes a distraction: A classroom should be one which imparts knowledge to the students not one which distracts them from academic interests.

(vi) When instruction suffers: It is important for the classroom to look cute and nice but definitely it should not be one where teaching lectures and instruction suffers. Nothing is as important as the academic lecture.

By: Anuja Arora

Content: https://www.weareteachers.com/cute-classrooms-are-overrated/