EDUC 502

Student name: Amal AL Amri

Student number: 200900228
Course instructor: Dr. Abdulaziz Ayoub

a- How can u as a teacher create a productive learning

environment?

Many teachers think that classrooms that focus on

learning have to be orderly and follow the lessons
plans only not knowing that this is one of the most
important problems teachers face. Regardless of the
teacher’s personality or background, the grade level
of the students, or the topic being studied, some
teachers behavior increase the amount students
learn more than others by creating a productive
learning environment for their students.
Any classroom needs discipline and management
for more effective instructions. For creating
productive learning environment many points should
be considered. Organization and classroom order are
very important factors in classroom management.
They influence student achievement. Organizing
prevents wasting the time of the lesson and usually
organizing and ordering the classroom in the right
way help in establishing routines that made the
environment predictable for students and devote the
energy the teacher has to instruction instead of
spending it on maintaining order.
Classroom order and student involvement are also
important and students should be involved in the
lesson in order to create a great deal of interaction
throughout the lesson. Students should not sit quietly
while a teacher does all the talking.
Both involvement and order increase the student
motivation. It’s impossible to find an effective
teacher without being an effective manager, and it is
impossible for the teacher to maintain order in the
absence of effective instruction. Through the order
and instruction each student will be motivated to get
his or her own chance to participate in the class.
Learning is a consequence of thinking and many
students do not reach that point of understanding
unless the environment of the class helps. If deep
understanding of content is a goal, then thinking
must also be a goal. Students should be surrounded
by an environment that arouse their curiosity to
involve them in participating and be active in the
class. Only a good teacher can create such an active
and productive learning environment.
b- How can you increase learner motivation and teach
your students to think critically?

Motivation is one of the most essential factors in

the educational process. Any teacher should be the
source of motivation to his or her students in order to
reach the goal of teaching any lesson. Starting with
the teacher him or herself, I believe any teacher
should be armed with the teaching characteristics.
Teachers set the emotional tone for the class, apply
instructions, implement learning activities, and
assess student progress. Acquiring all these
characteristics will help and motivate the teacher a
lot to become a good teacher.
In order to motivate students to participate in the
class or do any activity, I think any teacher should
believe that students can and will learn (positive
teacher expectation). Some teachers use some
strategies in their classrooms that help to motivate
students to participate and think critically. For
example, emotional support by asking students for
more interaction, more eye contact and smiles and
use more direct orientation to students. Also asking
students for more explanations by giving more
enthusiastic instruction and require more complete
and accurate student answers. Allow more time to
answer gives all students motivation to think and
answer. Feedback plays one of the key roles in any
classroom. In giving feedback, teachers should praise
more, criticize less and provide more complete and
clear feedback. To be motivated, students must feel
safe. Criticism and sarcasm detract this safety and
destroy motivation. Effective feedback is very
important to increase learner motivation. For
example, being immediate in giving feedback,
specific, provide information and of course have a
positive emotional tone.
Questioning is the most important skill that
teachers should have to promote their students to
interact and lead to teach learners to think critically.
Critical thinking gives students the chance to make
and defend conclusions based on evidence by
themselves. It also includes an attitude of tolerance
for ambiguity, respect for others opinions, the ability
to know the differences between relevant and
irrelevant information and gives opportunities to
practice critical thinking abilities both in classrooms
and real life. Teachers should not kill students
creativity, give them chances to think and use
evidence on their own. These inclinations develop in
time if students are required to practice them.
Above all, as a teacher my goal should be
increasing students achievement. I should put in my
mind to seek for deep understanding of the topic I
teach together with students thinking. From my own
point of view, I think concerning the ability of my
students to think is a serious matter as teaching for
thinking increases learner motivation.
Teaching thinking requires a classroom
environment where learners feel free to show their
thoughts and ideas without fear of negative feedback
or embarrassment.