How can students develop communication skills? How do international schools contribute?

How can students develop communication skills?

Effective Communication is the foundation of the growth and development of a student. It plays a key role one’s success, in the professional as well as personal capacity. One may mistakenly assume that good communication refers to one’s ability to verbally share views and opinions with authority and confidence, however, it is actually much more than that. It includes listening, emotional understanding, verbal and non-verbal communication. To develop effective communication skills, one must master all the aspects of communication.

It is of paramount importance for teachers to inculcate good communication skills in their students from the early years itself. Effective communication is the stepping stone to producing a confident and successful individual.

Following are some of the tools that teachers can use to develop the communication skills of their students:

1. Creating a conducive environment: The classroom should be considered a safe haven by all students. By creating an ambiance of respect, non-judgment and appreciation, teachers can form a constructive environment for their students. It has always been seen that students thrive in environments where they feel safe and secure. When a student knows that they can speak up without the fear of being ridiculed or shamed by a fellow classmate or teacher, then a student can express views with increased self-confidence and poise, leading to improved communication.

2. Engaging in active listening: Teachers must be active listeners to allow the students to become active communicators. When students know that their teachers are understanding and receptive to their thoughts and arguments, only then will they be able to communicate effectively. Students may at times have certain thoughts that they may not be able to express with clarity, and in such cases, patient listening on the part of the teachers can go a long way in helping students to sort out and rationalize their thoughts.

3. Allowing sharing of opinions: The free flow of opinions and ideas is integral for developing effective communication. Students should be frequently asked for feedback, and they should be encouraged to speak up to express their views. When negative feedback is not received well by teachers, then it can adversely impact the flow of communication. A student should never be made to feel that their opinion is invalid or unjustified. Such feelings can eventually lead to students completely withdrawing from the rest of the class, and this can hamper their communication skills for a lifetime.

4. Fostering Team building activities: Team building activities are a great way to encourage dialogue between classmates. Team work creates feelings of mutual trust and admiration within students. Teamwork also gives birth to leadership and responsibility, which encourages students to perform to the best of their ability as a result of not wanting to let down their team members. Communication is an essential pillar of leadership, as every good leader must be able to communicate with the team efficiently for better results.

5. Boosting student morale: Encouragement and reassurance are vital tools of morale boosting. When students are given positive feedback for a certain task, it has been noticed that they tend to perform even better in subsequent tasks as a result of the positive encouragement. Encouragement goes a long way in boosting confidence, and confidence is the key to good communication. Students will always communicate much more when they are feeling good about themselves as opposed to when they are feeling inferior or demoralized. It is thus very important for teachers to recognize when students are feeling low, and subsequently take necessary actions towards boosting their morale.

6. Teaching empathy: Empathy is the ability to understand the feelings and emotions of others around you. Students may at times lack basic empathy, which can negatively impact the way they communicate with fellow classmates and teachers. Even though empathy cannot be explicitly taught, the lack of empathy of a few students can disrupt healthy communication throughout the classroom. It therefore becomes important for teachers to identify such students and sensitize them towards the feeling of others around them.

7. Ensuring Turn taking: Certain students will be more confident and opinionated than others. However, to foster good communication skills in all the students, teachers must ensure that every child gets to voice their opinion. Turn taking is actually a great tool for developing effective communication within the classroom as a whole. This ensures that students who may not otherwise raise their hands, also get a turn to share their ideas and views on matters being discussed.

8. Encouraging Introspection: Introspection ensures that communication is healthy and not impulsive. Since students are young, teachers must inculcate in them the habit of recognizing where their feelings and emotions are stemming from. This encourages students to think, introspect and then communicate, thereby ensuring healthier and more thoughtful communication. Once students begin to introspect, their opinions will inevitably become more mature and less hurtful to others’ sentiments.

A teacher’s role is so much more than just educating and imparting knowledge to their students. Students are always in awe of their teachers, and they often try to emulate them as role models. Hence, teachers at the best IB schools in Mumbai undergo rigorous training where they are taught skills such as leadership, effective communication and emotional awareness.

The teachers at Aditya Birla World Academy try to gear their students towards the journey of success and fulfillment by indoctrinating habits such as effective communication from a very tender age itself. At ABWA, it is understood that to be the best international school in Mumbai , the institution cannot rely solely on creating good academicians, but instead creating leaders and trend-setters. Their focus on all-rounded development is what truly sets them apart on their mission- ‘ Learn, Achieve, Inspire ’.

Also read, 10 life skills to equip your child with. Find the best schools in Mumbai that offer holistic learning.
https://www.adityabirlaworldacademy.com/blog/10-life-skills-to-equip-your-child-with-find-the-best-schools-in-mumbai-that-offer-holistic-learning

What is differential learning? How does ABWA contribute to the differential learning curriculum?
https://www.adityabirlaworldacademy.com/blog/what-is-differential-learning-how-does-abwa-contribute-to-the-differential-learning-curriculum

What is ABWA’s emotional intelligence program? How the international schools in Mumbai are adopting this program?
https://www.adityabirlaworldacademy.com/blog/what-is-abwas-emotional-intelligence-program-how-the-international-schools-in-mumbai-are-adopting-this-program

What is holistic learning important? Which IB schools in Mumbai offer holistic learning?
https://www.adityabirlaworldacademy.com/blog/why-is-holistic-learning-important-which-ib-schools-in-south-mumbai-offer-holistic-learning