In addition to being the holder of two degrees, in Art History and Psychology, Debra Purcell-Regis was also a teacher for a number of years. She placed much of her focus on developing personal connections with her students and doing what she could to aid in their developments. She is keen to continue nurturing youngsters in any capacity that she can, particularly when they are in the classroom, following her retirement. With that in mind, these tips should help any students, no matter their ages, get the most out of their lessons.
Ditch The Distractions
In an age where smartphones have become practically ubiquitous, it is often hard to escape from them when you are in the classroom. Between updates from social media sites, notifications from apps and texts from your friends, it can be all too easy to allow yourself to become distracted by checking your phone when you are in a lesson. To avoid this issue, make sure that your phone is turned off before the class starts. Whatever notifications you get during the lesson will still be there when you turn the phone back on.
Take Notes
Staying active during lessons is important, particularly if the classroom session is predominantly based around a fairly dry lecture. By taking notes you keep your brain engaged and give yourself another reason to keep listening to your teacher. Furthermore, you will likely find that the notes you take are more useful to you in your revision, as they have been written from your point of view. Try to train yourself to jot down the information that is clearly going to be important later on.
Ask Questions
Always remember that your teacher is there to help you to learn as much as possible. Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that your learning preferences may be different to the teaching style employed in the classroom, which can sometimes mean that you won’t fully understand concepts until they are explained to you in a different fashion. Don’t be scared of asking questions in class, as doing so will allow you to confirm the information you have been told so that you can continue your scholastic development.
Be On Time
It may seem like a simple tip, but Debra Purcell-Regis points out that many students miss out on important information because they are tardy. The first few minutes of a class are usually spent establishing the aims of the lesson, which can be lost on those who turn up late. Furthermore, being tardy will usually mean that you are in a rush, which creates stress that you bring into the classroom with you. This can make it even harder to absorb the information that you are being taught.
Debra Purcell-Regis 