Mr. Alok Kumar Mohanty, Principal – Aadeshwar Academy, Jagdalpur
We flourish as educators because of three key abilities that children bring to the classroom.
The following are the three abilities or qualities: 1. The child’s intrinsic desire to solve the enigma that piques his or her attention and appeals to his or her heart. In other words, it is Interest or curiosity 2. The capacity to pay attention – a mental state of alertness and awareness that lasts for a long time. 3. Concentration – the capacity to focus one’s dispersed thoughts, feelings and skills on a single subject without being distracted for a period. When these abilities allow the learner to collect knowledge, develop mastery over the action and produce results in their surroundings, we can say that learning has happened.
Interest: A child’s interest in a subject is largely determined by three factors: nature, nurture, and the inherent samskaras (subtle impressions in the psyche) with which the child is born. The hereditary and genetic elements (nature) into which a kid is born to determine his or her interest in a subject. Whereas the environment and cultural inputs that a kid is exposed to during his or her early infancy are considered nurture, The innate samskaras, on the other hand, sometimes take precedence and encourage the kid to take advantage of the environment in which he or she is born, and the so-called roadblocks are controlled and employed for one’s benefit or advancement. These phenomena may be seen in the lives of many famous people who have taken advantage of life’s so-called barriers and scripted a success story.
Capacity to pay attention: What is attention? Is it a mental process in which the mind isn’t focused on any one notion, idea, or thought but is nevertheless aware of what is or isn’t happening? Is it important to register, record, and identify the process? What role does this mental faculty play in the learning process? Is it active or passive in nature? What mental qualities do you think are important? What are the qualities of the mind that operate from an attentive state? These are the important questions for an educator and people engaged in learning. One can learn about this by observing one’s mind.
In diverse types of play, a developing child’s capacity for sustained attention develops gradually. Play, along with listening to stories, remains the most essential activity. Playing in the sandpit, with water, and with colours absorbs the child’s attention and helps him/her develop the ability to pay attention.
Concentration: To be able to focus the diverse thought process on a single point or subject at will. What role does this faculty play in the learning process? Why is it necessary to prevent distraction when one needs to concentrate? What effect does it have on energy flow? All these important questions need to be kept in mind while developing this important faculty in the learner.
How do the aforementioned two faculties influence our ability to think and make decisions in our daily lives? What can the pedagogical process do to enhance these faculties in the learner is a legitimate question that an educator need to ask.
When our mind is either alert, focused, or quiet, all of our senses work at their best. In a school setting, a youngster who is alert and attentive learns more successfully. When a child is interested in a topic, there is a degree of absorption in the subject where attention and concentration occur spontaneously and naturally.
The learner’s ability to focus one’s attention on a single issue allows them to learn, although this ability develops first in the family. The ability to remain alert and concentrated has been negatively impacted by the arrival of technological gadgets (TV, cell phone, laptop, etc.). Young children and young adults tend to have a short attention span in general. Schools with larger teacher-to-student ratios are unable to assist each kid individually based on their requirements, and the ability to improve attention span is left to chance. As a result, parents must cultivate these faculties at home throughout the early stages of development in a systematic manner. At times, parents must play a negative role in their children’s lives in preventing the disturbing factors from affecting the child’s concentration and attention capacities.
Early on, an environment of serenity, quietude, and stillness, which may be actively created by choosing appropriate activities, might be beneficial. Silence, prayer, puja, music, art, chanting, and nature trails are all beneficial, as is paying attention to the details in any activities. When the mind experiences something unexpected or acquires a sensation of awe and wonder, the chattering of ideas, thoughts normally stops. The capacity to relate to the environment via newness of mind is often present in children, but as they get older, a mechanical approach pushes this ability back. This capacity is dwindling among children in our modern environment, and we witness a bored bunch of those who seek to be entertained on a sensory level out of a compulsive habit.
We may actively inject some freshness into our interactions by breaking old patterns, creating an element of surprise, and stepping beyond appearances, ensuring that our relationship with the kid is always aware and attentive. Making unconscious habitual actions conscious is perhaps the main objective of Education.
