Notebook Correction Benefits of Teacher’s Remark on Students’ Exercise book for Effective Learning
21st Century world redefined the role of a teacher. Now we know a teacher as a facilitator, motivator, and catalyst of learning. Teacher teaches different individuals. He tries to fulfill the learning need of students. Since, learning is a complex phenomena, wise teacher adopts various techniques to involve individuals to participate actively in teaching and learning process. Students prepare notes and solve exercises in their notebooks. Notebook is authentic evidence of student’s learning for teacher, school and parent.
Wise teacher identifies students’ personality through their notebooks. Students’ learning attitude reflects in their notebooks. Notebooks are great source of learning for students. Notebooks are crucial source of learning evidence in school based education system. Teacher initiates proper and suitable learning through school notebook. Concerned subject teacher frequently checks students’ notebook to ensure quality learning. The main motto of notebook correction is to ensure accurate learning. Each student is not capable to write correct i.e. while writing question-answer, preparing notes for further revision and examination preparation. Teacher writes remarks on students’ notebook for various purposes.
Why does a teacher write remarks on students’ notebooks? Does teacher’s remark on notebook have positive/negative impact on students’ learning? Do students notice teacher’s remark on his/her notebooks? Do teachers need to remind on his/her remarks written on student’s notebook?
Impact of teacher’s remark on student’s notebook
Teacher facilitates learning in the classroom. Teacher’s remark on students’ notebook has great impact. Teacher’s precise and lucid remark on student’s notebook has long lasting impact on his mind. It helps teacher to develop a rapport with student. Generally student ignores the remarks of a teacher written for asking i.e. complete pending work/improve your handwriting/ well done/late submission etc. Do you think that teacher’s accountability and responsibility complete, the moment s/he wrote remarks (vague/clear) on the notebook? Do you think that teacher needs to follow on next term and remind him to work on last remarks?
Clear objective before writing remarks on student’s notebook
Improvement in desired weak academic area is main motto behind writing remarks on students’ notebook while checking regular exercise, notes, project work and assignment etc. Students work hard, practice more and perform well to get good remarks from his subject teacher. It is wonderful endorsement of students’ hard work received from an educator. If teacher is very clear in his demand from student to follow certain instruction for following reasons, then there is no question that student will not do it. Yes, possibility of ignorance may be there but it is the teacher who motivates students and convinces him for following given instruction written on their notebooks. Are we clear before writing remarks on students’ notebook while checking various solved exercises?
General and Specific Remarks
Generally teacher’s remark on notebook falls into two categories that are ‘general remarks and specific remark’. General remarks motivates student to perform better in general i.e. well done! You always submit your notebook on time. Specific remarks requires student’s special attention for working immediately on mentioned area i.e. complete question no.16 and try to write your own view and submit on 22 September 2018.
Teacher’s remark makes a great impact
Teacher’s positive remarks on the notebook effectively make a great appeal and sense in the student’s mind. Teacher makes his learners sensible. He writes rational, relevant and concrete remark on student’s notebook. Teacher should write detail comments to sensitize the students. Writing details comments/remarks do not help until we do proper follow up as a reminder. When we do regular follow up; student thinks that my teacher still remembers my mistakes.
Praise the quality of the work not the individual
Praise the quality of the work not the individual. Please indicate what is good about the work i.e. meaningful question/handwriting/good content etc. Sometimes, general remarks may confuse student. A wise teacher continuously observes student’s mistakes in his concerned subject. S/he knows the student’s nature of committing mistakes i.e. whether student’s handwriting is poor/write wrong spelling frequently/ problem in framing accurate and meaningful sentences/ grammatical mistakes. Wise teacher finds out student’s pattern of committing mistakes on different occasions. Teacher writes specific remarks for curing special problems faced by students. Teacher uses very specific comments about student’s specific strengths and weakness detected on his notebooks.
Point out Student’s weakness and strength
Concerned teacher focuses on student’s weakness and strength. S/he pin points only certain area where student needs to work hard for real improvement. Wise teacher writes precise remarks on the basis of his observation. In fact, it is worth enough to write specific need based analysis remark on student’s exercise books. Different subject has different pattern of questions i.e. a number of diagram and scientific terminology in biology, several theories and formulas and a set of pattern to solve mathematical questions, a number of diagrams and maps in geography, grammatical accuracy and writing pattern in languages. Wise teacher writes special comments on students’ exercise books for bringing improvement in the weakest area and for bringing sharpness in the strongest area also.
How will you help students who are struggling with their writing?
Several times student does not want to work. He simply ignores teacher’s remark or may be given different excuses on different occasions? How will you help students who are struggling with their writing? Teacher finds out causes behind repetitive ignorance by the student. If a teacher reaches out the real problem, s/he considers some smart tools and techniques to solve the problems of ignorance. Our main motto is to motivate student to work out for better improvement on existing problems. Sometimes wise teacher involves his colleagues to find out problems and also find out solution. Sometimes educator increases parental involvement for better result but we cannot leave student on his fate or stamp him as stagnant learners. Merely writing remarks on students’ notebook without proper follow up and reminder is merely wastage of time. Teacher’s task is to find out not only mistakes but to provide adequate support to make student a better learner.
Teacher cannot be a magician. S/he cannot bring massive change in student’s present learning capability, learning styles and learning interest with immediate effect. In fact, it is a time taking process. Teacher’s remark on student’s notebook works as energy drinks. Written remarks on student’s notebook and reminder to follow in an interval facilitate him to work on it. The day student starts taking initiative to follow educator’s suggestion homeopathic effect start taking place in terms of positive outcome. Student’s notebook is authentic evidence of qualitative learning for the teacher, school and parent. Do you think so?
Rajeev Ranjan
Indian Educationist
Thank you sir for sharing the samples of the comments to be written on student’s notebooks while checking and the importance of the same. Teachers can also write the comment like H/She needs to improve his / her _________ (followed by the weak area the teacher observed while checking)
Thank you so much Preeti —This is just sample — Wise teacher customizes remarks —–according to need
Very true sir.
Very effective remarks really I appreciated
Thank you so much Pranali
Sir, Can i get a copy of these sample remarks of notebook comments
Sure