I have worked at an International School in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The learning
environment was a positive one as it was beneficial to both the students and teachers. The
classroom was equipped with the latest technology such as a computer, Smart Board and
speakers. The walls were outlined with colorful posters and the room was painted in bright
colors. The desks were arranged in small groups to facilitate cooperative learning. There were
also different centers with adequate materials in each that were strategically arranged around the
room so that students could foster their interests and talents.

As a teacher I believe that my students should believe in themselves and know that the sky is the
limit therefore, I utilize dialogues, open-ended questions, positive reinforcement, provide them
with support in order to encourage critical thinking and comprehension so that they can develop
self-efficacy. I also expect them to be prepared for lessons and remain focused during lessons
therefore, I ensure that they are provided with rules and routines so that they will have a guide to
follow for all lessons. They should also be active participants in the learning process and should
be on their best behaviors therefore, I utilize cooperative groupings and provide them with
challenging activities where they can work as a team and I use effective strategies for managing
my classroom so that behavior problems can be prevented or alleviated. However, there were
challenges as some students were unmotivated as they were occupied with situations in their own
personal lives or issues unrelated to learning. I had to ensure that I utilized a variety of strategies
to keep them motivated and interested in the lessons. I also had a diverse set of students who
were from varied backgrounds and required additional help due to language barriers therefore, I
had to use differentiated activities to facilitate their understanding of topics. Some of them also
had issues with working in cooperative groups therefore, I had to change the groups periodically
and taught them how to develop a culture of diversity so that they would learn to accept each
other.

Berkeley Center for Teaching and Learning defines learning as:

 An active process in which students are able to engage with and manipulate objects,
experiences, and conversations so that they can build mental models of the world
(Dewey, 1938; Piaget, 1964; Vygotsky, 1986). As learners explore the world they build
 knowledge, explore their environment, converse and engage with others observe and
interact with phenomena, and make connections between prior understandings and new
ideas.

 A process that builds on prior knowledge and involves enriching, constructing, and

alternating existing understanding, where prior knowledge supports the maintenance of
all future learning” (Alexander, 1996, p. 89).  
 A process that occurs in a complex social environment and should not be limited to being
examined or perceived as something that occurs on an individual basis. It should be
thought of as a social activity which involves people, the cultural context they’re in, what
they use and speak and any actions that are taking (Bransford, et al., 2006; Rogoff, 1998),
and that knowledge is built by members that are involved in the activity (Scardamalia &
Bereiter, 2006).
 A process which provides learners with the opportunity to engage with specific ideas and
concepts on what they need and want to know (Greeno, 2006; Kolodner, 2006).

 A process that requires learners to be motivated and engaged when learning complex
ideas, due to the because considerable mental effort and persistence that are necessary.

Learning should not be limited to books discussed in the classroom and the theories developed
by different philosophers as anyone can learn beyond the four corners of the classroom. Learning
can also occur when students participate in a variety of activities, interact with other people, and
engage in the economic and political aspect of the school. As long as children are being provided
with different experiences that they are interested in then they will be motivated to learn.
Therefore, teachers have to ensure that when developing the curricula, they have to consider the
needs and interests of the students and provide them with exciting and motivating experiences
that will foster their understanding.

Everyone learns in their own way, however, there are some factors that affect one’s ability to
learn. Traylor (2020) has outlined some of them:
 Socio Economic Status - Students come from different socio economic backgrounds and
only students from affluent families are able to provide their children with the required
resources so that they can acquire a good education and be successful in school while
students from poor families often struggle to get a good education.
 Parents’ Education - Parents from affluent families have a higher regard for education
and as such put out a lot of effort in ensuring that their children are educated. Parents
from poor families are more concerned about surviving economically and do not see
education as important. Children from affluent families tend to pursue the same career
path as their parents.
 Availability of Resources – Some schools are not equipped with adequate resources and
as such are unable to provide students with the experiences they need to get a good
education. They might lack space, equipment, technology and other resources which
limit access to a good education.
 Safety - Some students are surrounded by violence which compromises their safety and
affects the way they learn. If students do not feel a sense of belonging and a sense of
security, then they will be unable to learn.
 Learning Disabilities - Some students have disabilities which the regular teacher is not
equipped to deal with and this affects their ability to learn. They require some sort of
accommodations in order to learn.
 Language Barriers - Some students have difficulty understanding and retaining
information due to language barriers.
 Teachers’ Skills - Teachers have to be knowledgeable about the curriculum and the
students in order to pinpoint their needs and cater for them. They have to understand the
ways that students learn and use a variety of strategies in order to support their learning.
 Willingness to Learn – Some students are not motivated or willing to learn. They do not
have an optimal goal or do not see the relevance of learning therefore, they do not put any
effort into learning.
References

Berkeley Center for Teaching & Learning, (2022). What is Learning? Retrieved from: What is
Learning? | Center for Teaching & Learning (berkeley.edu)

Traylor, D. (2020). Factors That Affect Student Learning, Retrieved from:

https://owlcation.com/academia/Factors-that-affect-Student-Learning