It is easy to make the mistake as teachers, of thinking we have to approach teaching in a rip, tear, rush manner. There is so much to be taught and so little time in which to do it, that the only option is to cram and cram. It is easy to think like that because of the huge load placed on schools and staff.

Learning takes time. Brain and cognitive development does not come all at once. Rather the process is graduated and in sync with the overall physical and mental development of children. We need to keep this in mind, teaching empathetically and patiently.

This is not an easy exercise in our modern classrooms. There is so much pressuring in and upon teachers, that quite often the only thing of seeming importance is to cram in as much learning opportunity as possible. Children need to have time to understand and digest the concepts being taught. The traditional lesson of introducing new concepts, teaching then revising and extending in the cyclical way was a good method of operation. It still works in this day and age. Crowding too much into shorter periods of time will leave students with half understandings and cause them to be very frustrated learners.

Reinforcement is important. The joy of learning is to understand what one has been offered from a learning viewpoint. This means pacing learning steadily and carefully, not always easy because of the imperatives trust on teachers. Getting the balance right between quantity (volume” and quality (manner of teaching”) is important. Volume learning is frustrating for students. The emphasis on quantity so that ticks can be placed against lists of things to be taught to the disadvantage of quality is unfortunate.

One way of a judging how well students are learning is to take them aside individually or in small groups is to discuss with them what’s been taught. If they can come back to you in a relaxed conversational manner showing understanding then it becomes clear that the right quantity/quality nexus is being met. If students appear to have no clues at all, then obviously the amount being crammed is overdone.

I believe that learning opportunities have to be consistent but “making haste slowly” is developing teaching in the right direction. One quality that is absolutely necessary when teaching is to have patience, to be prepared to spend time doing things with children so that learning sticks.