'Let Us Break the Barriers of Learning and Liberate Learners!!!"

What are the barriers to learning?

A barrier to learning is anything that stands in the way of a child being able to learn effectively. A learner may experience one or more barriers to learning throughout his or her education.

What is a barrier to learning?

A barrier to learning is anything that stands in the way of a child being able to learn effectively. A learner may experience one or more barriers to learning throughout his or her education. A child with a disability will experience that disability as an intrinsic barrier to learning and will require varying levels of support to accommodate their disability in order to reach their full academic potential. Barriers to learning are not limited to intrinsic barriers. They can also be societal/environmental barriers. For example extreme poverty, abuse or neglect will all act as barriers to a child’s learning.

Collaboration is essential – but not optimal right now Systemic barriers to learning are barriers created by the education system itself. Most often , children with disabilities bear the most severe consequences of an inadequate, under resourced education system.

Some of these Systemic barriers in a South African context which impact on

children with disabilities include:

?Overcrowding in classrooms

?Inappropriate language of learning and teaching

?Long waiting lists at special schools

?Insufficient training of educators to manage diversity in their classrooms

?Lack of funds for assistive devices

?Lack of teaching assistants

?Long delays in assessment of learners

?No incentive in the form of weighting or increased subsidy for mainstream

schools or ECD Centres who include children with disabilities.

?Inadequate facilities for children with disabilities in schools ie physical

access for children in wheelchairs, teaching material in braille, etc.

?For Deaf children the barrier is access to a natural language. Educators

of Deaf children need to be fluent in South African Sign Language (SASL).

They should also be able to study SASL as a learning area.

Weighting explained : In Special Schools different disabilities carry a weighting so that for example a child with Autism carries a weighting of 6. If the ratio of educators to learners is 1:30 and the class had 1 autistic learner then the class size would be 24.

What this means for children with disabilities

The education policy stipulates that children with disabilities have the right to be given an opportunity to reach their full learning potential by being accommodated in the most appropriate education setting according to their level of support needs. The practical implementation of this right has failed to achieve the goal of affording children with disabilities a quality basic education.

The Department of Education acknowledges that 27 000 learners are incorrectly referred to special schools where they could be mainstream educated. This has placed an unnecessary burden on Special Schools and waiting lists are unacceptably long. The result is that children with high levels of support needs are not accessing the Special Schooling they need. The consequence of this is that the majority of these children remain out of school.

Inclusion is what is called for, exclusion is too often what happens – children face numerous barriers to learning. In order to be placed at a Special School learners are required to be assessed by an educational psychologist. Waiting lists for children to be assessed are inordinately long. Whilst awaiting assessment or placement in a special school these learners are most often not receiving proper support in their current education setting. This is unacceptable and the entire system of assessment for placement needs to be addressed.

In addition children that should be mainstreamed and who would benefit from inclusion in their local neighborhood school are either in special schools, on waiting lists or not receiving quality education at school due to the educator being inadequately trained to adapt his/her teaching to meet the needs of the learner.

Mainstream schools that do accommodate learners with disabilities do not benefit from the weighting system which applies in special schools. So Educators in mainstream classes that are already overcrowded may have the additional responsibility of providing extra support to a learner with disabilities without the benefit of fewer other learners in her class.

In Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centres, the Department of Social Development gives one standard subsidy rate per child per day and also makes no provision for an increased subsidy for centres which include learners with disabilities. As a result mainstream schools and ECD Centres do not have any additional funds or resources to be able to give appropriate support to children with disabilities.

An overall lack of resources means that there is not adequate provision of classroom assistants, assistive devices, wheelchair accessibility and other means to provide quality education to children with disabilities. Suggestions / Recommendations

?A review of the weighting policy by the Department of Education. This has financial repercussions for the Department as it may result in the need for additional posts.

?A review of the allocation of subsidies by the Department of Social Development for inclusive ECD Centres.

?A serious commitment at District level to shifting from assessment for placement to multi-disciplinary assessment and support at the school where the learner is currently placed.

?Improved training of Educators so that they are better equipped to include learners with disabilities in their classes.

?A review of assessment policies for admission to Special Schools.

?Embracing the concept of Universal design.

An education system that promotes the full participation and inclusion of children with disabilities maximizes their personal development and enables their ongoing participation and inclusion in society .

What are the different types of barriers?

• Communication Skills. The Seven Barriers to Great Communications. ...
• Physical Barriers. Physical barriers in the workplace include: ...
• Perceptual Barriers. ...
• Cultural Barriers. ...
• Language Barriers. ...
• Interpersonal Barriers. ...
• Read more about Impact Factory's Communication Skills Training in London.

The Seven Barriers to Great Communications

The art of communicating is to understand that at a deep level we are all really one. There is no separation. When we know this, we immediately overcome the barriers that we build to keep yourselves separate. Many people think that communicating is easy. It is after all something we've done all our lives. There is some truth in this simplistic view. Communicating is straightforward. What makes it complex, difficult, and frustrating are the barriers we put in the way.

Here are the seven top barriers.

1. Physical Barriers

Physical barriers in the workplace include:

* marked out territories, empires and fiefdoms into which strangers are not allowed

* closed office doors, barrier screens, and separate areas for people of different status

* large working areas or working in one unit that is physically separate from others.

Research shows that one of the most important factors in building cohesive teams is proximity. As long as people still have a personal space that they can call their own, nearness to others aids communication because it helps us get to know one another.

2. Perceptual Barriers

The problem with communicating with others is that we all see the world differently. If we didn't, we would have no need to communicate: something like extrasensory perception would take its place. The following anecdote is a reminder of how our thoughts, assumptions and perceptions shape our own realities.

A traveller was walking down a road when he met a man from the next town. "Excuse me," he said. "I am hoping to stay in the next town tonight. Can you tell me what the townspeople are like?"

"Well," said the townsman, "how did you find the people in the last town you visited?"

"Oh, they were an irascible bunch. Kept to themselves. Took me for a fool. Over-charged me for what I got. Gave me very poor service."

"Well, then," said the townsman, "you'll find them pretty much the same here."

3. Emotional Barriers.

One of the chief barriers to open and free communications is the emotional barrier. It is comprised mainly of fear, mistrust and suspicion. The roots of our emotional mistrust of others lie in our childhood and infancy when we were taught to be careful what we said to others.

"Mind your P's and Q's"; "Don't speak until you're spoken to"; "Children should be seen and not heard". As a result many people hold back from communicating their thoughts and feelings to others.

They feel vulnerable. While some caution may be wise in certain relationships, excessive fear of what others might think of us can stunt our development as effective communicators and our ability to form meaningful relationships.

4. Cultural Barriers

When we join a group and wish to remain in it, sooner or later we need to adopt the behaviour patterns of the group. These are the behaviours that the group accept as signs of belonging.

The group rewards such behaviour through acts of recognition, approval and inclusion. In groups which are happy to accept you, and where you are happy to conform, there is a mutuality of interest and a high level of win-win contact.

Where, however, there are barriers to your membership of a group, a high level of game-playing replaces good communication.

5. Language Barriers

Language that describes what we want to say in our terms may present barriers to others who are not familiar with our expressions, buzz-words and jargon. When we couch our communication in such language, it is a way of excluding others. In a global market place the greatest compliment we can pay another person is to talk in their language.

One of the more chilling memories of the Cold War was the threat by the Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev saying to the Americans at the United Nations: "We will bury you!" This was taken to mean a threat of nuclear annihilation.

However, a more accurate reading of Khruschev's words would have been: "We will overtake you!" meaning economic superiority. It was not just the language, but the fear and suspicion that the West had of the Soviet Union that led to the more alarmist and sinister interpretation.

6. Gender Barriers

There are distinct differences between the speech patterns in a man and those in a woman. A woman speaks between 22,000 and 25,000 words a day whereas a man speaks between 7,000 and 10,000. In childhood, girls speak earlier than boys and at the age of three, have a vocabulary twice that of boys.

The reason for this lies in the wiring of a man's and woman's brains. When a man talks, his speech is located in the left side of the brain but in no specific area. When a woman talks, the speech is located in both hemispheres and in two specific locations.

This means that a man talks in a linear, logical and compartmentalised way, features of left-brain thinking; whereas a woman talks more freely mixing logic and emotion, features of both sides of the brain. It also explains why women talk for much longer than men each day.

7. Interpersonal Barriers

There are six levels at which people can distance themselves from one another:

1. Withdrawal. Withdrawal is an absence of interpersonal contact. It is both refusal to be in touch and time alone.
2. Rituals. Rituals are meaningless, repetitive routines devoid of real contact.
3. Pastimes. Pastimes fill up time with others in social but superficial activities.
4. Working. Working activities are those tasks which follow the rules and procedures of contact but no more.
5. Games. Games are subtle, manipulative interactions which are about winning and losing. They include "rackets" and "stamps".
6. Closeness. Closeness is the aim of interpersonal contact where there is a high level of honesty and acceptance of yourself and others.

Working on improving your communications is a broad-brush activity. You have to change your thoughts, your feelings, and your physical connections. That way you can break down the barriers that get in your way and start building relationships that really work.

The Barriers to education?

Barriers to education can take a variety of forms. They can be physical, technological, systemic, financial, or attitudinal, or they can arise from an education provider's failure to make available a needed accommodation in a timely manner.

Children in poor countries face many barriers to accessing an education. Some are obvious – like not having a school to go to – while others are more subtle, like the teacher at the school not having had the training needed to effectively help children to learn.

Increasing access to education can improve the overall health and longevity of a society, grow economies, and even combat climate change. Yet in many developing countries, children’s access to education can be limited by numerous factors. 

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE), a global collaboration between more than 60 developing countries, is on the front lines of working to increase access to education in these places. On Feb. 1, 2018, GPE leaders will convene in Dakar, Senegal for the third GPE replenishment, aimed at raising $3.1 billion in new investment for the fund. 

This money will go toward providing critical tools for students and teachers in developing countries around the world, often in states that are fragile and crisis-affected. 

Take Action: Sign petition

You can help girls around the world overcome the barriers to education and create real change, through funding and action, for girls, their families, and communities. Support the Statement of Action on Girls’ Education and contribute to the Global Partnership for Education and the Education Cannot Wait Fund to ensure girls everywhere can access a free, quality education.

Here are 10 of the greatest challenges in global education, and how the GPE is addressing them right now: 

1. A lack of funding for education

While the Global Partnership for Education is helping many developing countries to increase their own domestic financing for education, global donor support for education is decreasing at an alarming rate. The amount of total aid that’s allocated to education has decreased in each of the past six years, and education aid is 4% lower than it was in 2009. This is creating a global funding crisis that is having serious consequences on countries’ ability to get children into school and learning. Money isn’t everything, but it is a key foundation for a successful education system.

The Global Partnership is aiming to raise $3.1 billion in new investment from donor countries into the GPE fund, as well as increases in other aid to education, and is also asking developing country partners to pledge increases in their own domestic financing. 

2. Having no teacher, or having an untrained teacher

What’s the number one thing any child needs to be able to learn? A teacher, of course. 

We’re facing multiple challenges when it comes to teachers. Not only are there not enough teachers globally to achieve universal primary education (let alone secondary), but many of the teachers that are currently working are also untrained, leading to children failing to learn the basics, such as maths and language skills. Globally, the UN estimates that 69 million new teachers are required to achieve universal primary and secondary education by 2030. Meanwhile, in one out of three countries, less than three-quarters of teachers are trained to national standards.

In 2016 alone, the Global Partnership for Education helped to train 238,000 teachers worldwide. With a successful replenishment, GPE can make teacher recruitment and training a top global priority for delivering quality education for all.

3. No classroom

This seems like a pretty obvious one – if you don’t have a classroom, you don’t really have much of a chance of getting a decent education. But again, that’s a reality for millions of children worldwide. Children in many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are often squeezed into overcrowded classrooms, classrooms that are falling apart, or are learning outside. 

In Malawi, for example, there are 130 children per classroom in grade 1 on average. It’s not just a lack of classrooms that’s the problem, but also all the basic facilities you would expect a school to have – like running water and toilets. 

In Chad, only one in seven schools has potable water, and just one in four has a toilet; moreover, only one-third of the toilets that do exist are for girls only – a real disincentive and barrier for girls to come to school.

Since 2011 funding from the Global Partnership for Education has helped to build or rehabilitate 53,000 classrooms. With an additional $3.1 billion, GPE could help build an additional 23,800 classrooms, while training over 1.7 million teachers, among other things. 

4. A lack of learning materials

Outdated and worn-out textbooks are often shared by six or more students in many parts of the world. In Tanzania, for example, only 3.5% of all grade 6 pupils had sole use of a reading textbook. In Cameroon, there are 11 primary school students for every reading textbook and 13 for every mathematics textbook in grade 2. Workbooks, exercise sheets, readers and other core materials to help students learn their lessons are in short supply. Teachers also need materials to help prepare their lessons, share with their students, and guide their lessons.

For example, GPE funding helped deliver 146 million textbooks to all primary and secondary school students in Ethiopia, increasing access to quality services in an estimated 40,000 schools. 

5. The exclusion of children with disabilities

Despite the fact that education is a universal human right, being denied access to school is common for the world’s 93 million children with disabilities. In some of the world’s poorest countries, up to 95% of children with disabilities are out of school. A combination of discrimination, lack of training in inclusive teaching methods among teachers, and a straightforward lack of disabled accessible schools leave this group uniquely vulnerable to being denied their right to education.

Children with disabilities are one of the Global Partnership for Education’s priorities. With a successful replenishment, the GPE will be able to work with its more than 60 developing country partners to promote inclusive education. 

The GPE already has a proven track record in this capacity. For example, at the Daerit Elementary School in Asmara, Eritrea, children are taught that, “All children can learn.” And with funds from GPE, the school is pioneering inclusive education in the country. 

6. Being the ‘wrong’ gender

Put simply, gender is one of the biggest reasons why children are denied an education. Despite recent advances in girls’ education, a generation of young women has been left behind. Over 130 million young women around the world are not currently enrolled in school. At least one in five adolescent girls around the world is denied an education by the daily realities of poverty, conflict and discrimination.

Poverty forces many families to choose which of their children to send to school. Girls often miss out due to belief that there’s less value in educating a girl than a boy. Instead, they are sent to work or made to stay at home to look after siblings and work on household chores. Girls also miss days of school every year or are too embarrassed to participate in class, because they don’t have appropriate menstrual hygiene education or toilet facilities at their school to manage their period in privacy and with dignity.

Ensuring girls can access and complete a quality education is a top priority for the Global Partnership for Education. Since its inception, GPE has helped 38 million additional girls go to school. Sixty-four percent the developing countries GPE supports and works with succeeded in getting equal numbers of girls and boys to complete primary school in 2015. GPE funds have also resulted in better sanitary facilities, like toilet blocks and gender separated toilets worldwide. With a successful replenishment, GPE could get an additional 9.4 million girls in school by 2020. 

7. Living in a country in conflict or at risk of conflict

There are many casualties of any war, and education systems are often destroyed. While this may seem obvious, the impact of conflict cannot be overstated. In 2017, around 50 million children were living in countries affected by conflicts, with 27 million of them out of school, according to UNICEF. Conflict prevents governments from functioning, teachers and students often flee their homes, and continuity of learning is greatly disrupted. In total, 75 million children have had their education disrupted by conflict or crisis, including natural disasters that destroy schools and the environment around them. Worryingly, education has thus far been a very low priority in humanitarian aid to countries in conflict – and less than 3% of global humanitarian assistance was allocated to education in 2016.

Since its establishment, the Global Partnership for Education has committed nearly half of all its grants to conflict-affected and fragile states. Nearly half of all GPE funded countries classify as either “fragile” or “affected by conflict.” The Global Partnership is also right now looking at how to further improve its operations to accelerate support to countries in emergencies or early recovery situations.

8. Distance from home to school

For many children around the world, a walk to school of up to three hours in each direction is not uncommon. This is just too much for many children, particularly those children with a disability, those suffering from malnutrition or illness, or those who are required to work around the household. Imagine having to set off for school, hungry, at 5 a.m. every day, not to return until 7pm. Many children, especially girls, are also vulnerable to violence on their long and hazardous journeys to and from school.

By investing in new schools, more schools, the Global Partnership for Education is helping to reduce the distances children have to travel to get to school for a decent education. With pledges of support from donors, the GPE can help ensure no child has to endure such long journeys just to fulfil their basic right to education.

9. Hunger and poor nutrition

The impact of hunger on education systems is gravely underreported. Being severely malnourished, to the point it impacts on brain development, can be the same as losing four grades of schooling. Around 171 million children in developing countries are stunted by hunger by the time they reach age 5. Stunting can affect a child’s cognitive abilities as well as their focus and concentration in school. As a result, stunted children are 19% less likely to be able to read by age eight. Conversely, good nutrition can be crucial preparation for good learning.

The Global Partnership for Education seeks to address national priorities as decided by developing country governments themselves. Where malnutrition is a major concern, the GPE is stepping in to address the problem. 

For instance, in Lao People’s Democratic Republic, an innovative School Meals Program funded by GPE is addressing students’ nutritional deficits as well as promoting self-reliance, community ownership, and sustainability through integrated local food production and the active involvement of community members. As a result, Lao PDR has seen increased school enrollment (especially for girls), improved nutritional status, reduced household expenses, and stronger student-teacher-parent and community relations.

10. The expense of education 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights makes clear that every child has the right to a free basic education, so that poverty and lack of money should not be a barrier to schooling. In many developing countries, over the last decades governments have announced the abolition of school fees and as a result, seen impressive increases in the number of children going to school. 

But for many of the poorest families, school remains too expensive and children are forced to stay at home doing chores or work themselves. Families remain locked in a cycle of poverty that goes on for generations. In many countries in Africa, while education is theoretically free, in practice ‘informal fees’ see parents forced to pay for ‘compulsory items’ like uniforms, books, pens, extra lessons, exam fees or funds to support the school buildings. In other places, the lack of functioning public (government) schools means that parents have no choice but to send their children to private schools that, even if they are ‘low fee’, are unaffordable for the poorest families who risk making themselves destitute in their efforts to get their children better lives through education.

The Global Partnership forWhat are the barriers to inclusive education?

Education’s primary purpose is to help strengthen the national education systems of the poorest countries, building their capacity to deliver quality affordable education for all citizens.

Barriers to Inclusive Education

• Attitudes. The greatest barriers to inclusion are caused by society, not by particular medical impairments. ...
• Physical Barriers. ...
• Curriculum. ...
• Teachers. ...
• Language and communication. ...
• Socio-economic factors. ...
• Funding. ...
• Organisation of the education system.

Barriers to Inclusive Education

Inclusive education does away with the practice of segregating students with learning and/or physical challenges from the rest of the student body. While the practice of inclusion places extra demands on students and facility logistics, there are numerous benefits to all students, both disabled and non-disabled.

Teachers in inclusive classrooms must incorporate a variety of teaching methods in order to best reach students of varying learning abilities. This has benefits even for those students who would be placed in a traditional classroom, as this increases their engagement in the learning process. Even gifted and accelerated learners benefit from an environment that stresses responsiveness from all students.

Perhaps most importantly, inclusive classrooms encourage open and frank dialogue about differences as well as a respect for those with different abilities, cultural backgrounds and needs.

Despite the benefits, there still are many barriers to the implementation of inclusive education. A UNESCO article, “Inclusive Education,” outlined many of them, including:

Attitudes: Societal norms often are the biggest barrier to inclusion. Old attitudes die hard, and many still resist the accommodation of students with disabilities and learning issues, as well as those from minority cultures. Prejudices against those with differences can lead to discrimination, which inhibits the educational process. The challenges of inclusive education might be blamed on the students’ challenges instead of the shortcomings of the educational system.

Physical Barriers: In some districts, students with physical disabilities are expected to attend schools that are inaccessible to them. In economically-deprived school systems, especially those in rural areas, dilapidated and poorly-cared-for buildings can restrict accessibility. Some of these facilities are not safe or healthy for any students. Many schools don’t have the facilities to properly accommodate students with special needs, and local governments lack either the funds or the resolve to provide financial help. Environmental barriers can include doors, passageways, stairs and ramps, and recreational areas. These can create a barrier for some students to simply enter the school building or classroom.

Curriculum: A rigid curriculum that does not allow for experimentation or the use of different teaching methods can be an enormous barrier to inclusion. Study plans that don’t recognize different styles of learning hinder the school experience for all students, even those not traditionally recognized as having physical or mental challenges.

Teachers: Teachers who are not trained or who are unwilling or unenthusiastic about working with differently-abled students are a drawback to successful inclusion. Training often falls short of real effectiveness, and instructors already straining under large workloads may resent the added duties of coming up with different approaches for the same lessons.

Language and communication: Many students are expected to learn while being taught in a language that is new and in some cases unfamiliar to them. This is obviously a significant barrier to successful learning. Too often, these students face discrimination and low expectations.

Socio-economic factors: Areas that are traditionally poor and those with higher-than-average unemployment rates tend to have schools that reflect that environment, such as run-down facilities, students who are unable to afford basic necessities and other barriers to the learning process. Violence, poor health services, and other social factors make create barriers even for traditional learners, and these challenges make inclusion all but impossible.

Funding: Adequate funding is a necessity for inclusion and yet it is rare. Schools often lack adequate facilities, qualified and properly-trained teachers and other staff members, educational materials and general support. Sadly, lack of resources is pervasive throughout many educational systems.

Organization of the Education System: Centralized education systems are rarely conducive to positive change and initiative. Decisions come from the school system’s high-level authorities whose initiatives focus on employee compliance more than quality learning. The top levels of the organization may have little or no idea about the realities teachers face on a daily basis.

Policies as Barriers: Many policy makers don’t understand or believe in inclusive education, and these leaders can stonewall efforts to make school policies more inclusive. This can exclude whole groups of learners from the mainstream educational system, thereby preventing them from enjoying the same opportunities for education and employment afforded to traditional students.

Overcoming the many barriers to inclusive education will require additional funding, but even more importantly, it requires the change of old and outdated attitudes. Studies support what many classroom teachers know by experience: that the benefits inclusion provides to all students easily justifies the effort.

Barriers to learning, which included systemic barriers (such as overcrowded classrooms), societal barriers (such as crime, HIV/AIDS), pedagogical barriers (such as under qualified teachers), and intrinsic barriers (such as behavioural

What are the systemic barriers to learning?

A barrier to learning is anything that stands in the way of a child being able to learn effectively. A learner may experience one or more barriers to learning throughout his or her education. ... For example extreme poverty, abuse or neglect will all act as barriers to a child's learning.

How do you overcome language barriers in a classroom?

It takes time and practice to overcome a language barrier, but here are 10 tips to help you get started:

1. Don't shout. ...
2. Speak slowly. ...
3. Get over being self-conscious. ...
4. Grab a notepad. ...
5. Cut out your native slang. ...
6. Be wary of your words. ...
7. Technology can help. ...
8. Make a good guess.
9. Relax..
10. Get Emotional.

1. Don’t shout

We have all been there, we have all seen it, we have all commented on it. Those people that can’t get what they want to say across to somebody of another language, so instead they say the exact same sentence, just a few decibels higher. Did this work for you? I didn’t think so. The problem here is that you both speak a different language, not that the other person is deaf.

2. Speak slowly

Sometimes you can get a little carried away with what you are trying to say. Maybe you are excited about being in a new country, maybe you are late for work, maybe King Kong is wreaking havoc on New York City and you are the only thing that stands in the way of the giant ape and destruction. Whatever it is, take a second to slow it down and not speak so fast. The faster you speak the less people will understand.

3. Get over being self-conscious

One of the major hindrances of the language barrier is being self-conscious. You are going to make mistakes, you are going to say things incorrectly, and you are going to have to brush up on your charades skills for getting your body language across. The key is to just get over it and accept that these things are going to happen.

4. Grab a notepad

The loyal notepad! Who would have thought this could be so useful when traveling. Any phrases that you think are useful that you may use regularly should be jotted down in preparation to be whipped out at any given moment. Simple things like numbers are usually easy to learn, but asking how much a bill is in a restaurant may be a little trickier.

5. Cut out your native slang

Every language has slang. There are always new words that the kids are saying these days and these are fed into our daily language. Put yourself in the shoes of the other guy you are speaking to in a foreign country, however, and you’ll quickly realize that he’s spent years studying textbook English to gain a basic understanding of English. Bombarding someone with cockney rhyming slang will leave people totally baffled. Cut the slang out, and you shall go far, young grasshopper.

6. Be wary of your words

Not all English speaking countries use the same words for the same objects or situations. England and America are constantly at war as to the correct use of words: faucet or tap? Apartment or flat? Lift or elevator? Find out which form of English people relate to in the country you’re visiting, and you’ll find that getting your point across with locals might go a little easier.

7. Technology can help

Although I don’t like to rely too heavily on the apps on my iphone, they are, in fact, a great help when you need a quick go-to for a word. I’ve been in stores looking for items like shaving cream. Instead of playing out a very highly skilled and thought out rendition of my daily morning shave, I just type it into my Google translate app and bingo.

8. Make a good guess

Don’t be afraid to just try out words that you think are correct, even if you are not 100% certain. The chances are that most of the time you will be correct, as you are dragging it out of that deep dark sub-conscious without even realizing you are doing it. And if you’re wrong, so what! Nobody died, civilization didn’t fail, the world is still intact. You just said a word wrong. No big deal.

9. Relax

When you get nervous your brain starts shooting random words across the language plains of your head, which are crashing into each other, causing traffic delays, and doing stunt shows. Not helpful. Relax, take a deep breath, and remember your training. Now try it again. Better right? Usually being relaxed helps the flow of understanding and communication. So just remember to breathe.

10. Get emotional

First of all, if you are trying to communicate with somebody but you are showing minimal emotion, you are going to find that you are coming across a little boring. Nobody likes a robot. Secondly emotions are universal. Happy, sad, and angry: all of these are understood in different languages without having to use the language. So take Whitney Houston’s advice and don’t be afraid to get so emotional, baby

OVERCOMING THE BARRIERS IN LEARNING

Strategies and Practices That Can Help All Students Overcome BarriersEducators today are faced with the daunting task of teaching students that face personal and social emotional challenges on a broad scale unlike any other generation. We now have in our schools what we refer to as the recession babies, a generation of children whose parents experienced hardships, loss of jobs, addiction and other tragedies during very trying economic times. Many of whom have yet to recover. Caught in the middle of this social, moral and ethical dilemma is the teacher who is faced with ensuring the delivery of content and skills necessary to “close the gap” and ensure proficiency on standardized assessments.

In order to do this there have been a number of “practices” or genre’s if you will, of instructional themes and curriculums developed to address the individual issues. Culturally Responsive Teaching, Teaching with Poverty in Mind, Trauma Informed Practice, the list goes on. Just the plethora of different acronyms alone can be overwhelming to the practitioner but trying to understand the complexities of each and utilize relevant classroom strategies for each can seem overwhelming.

 So let’s keep it simple. Here are our top ten strategies and practices that can help all students overcome barriers.

• Build relationships

Relationships and the importance of them in the classroom never goes away. As the education pendulum flies back and forth, one thing that you can always count on still being at the forefront of making a difference in the classroom is the idea of relationships. If you don’t have a relationship with your students the work you do on a daily basis will be flat and not nearly as effective as what it could be. Take the time to build connections with each and every one of your students. What makes the tick? What are their interests? What are their hopes and desires? These are all things that you continue to build and cultivate as the year progresses, community and relationship building does not just stop after the first two weeks.  Regardless of class size or other circumstances that have an impact on the classroom, this is number one for a reason!

• Be intentional with your lesson planning

As you sit down and plan out the upcoming week, really give some thought to how you are going to reach all your students. What are the various entry points students are going to need to access the curriculum and reach your lesson target? Or perhaps, how you can help engage students at the start so they are ready to learn? Would a morning meeting or quick team building activity in table groups help get the kids primed for learning? Have a warm up to settle and set a tone. Review the learning targets for the lesson to inform the students and tune them in.

• Use a balanced data approach

Using data to drive your instruction and decisions is vital. However, it needs to be done in a balanced approach to where you are taking into consideration your students and the direct knowledge you have about them. As educators we are lucky that we know things about students more than what can be represented on a test. Use this information to help drive your instruction and decisions. How can you leverage these to help improve outcomes for kids? Are there additional ways that you can help support your students? Apply formative practices that not only will inform you of the “Are they getting it?” factor but also use them to inform your students about their own progress.

• Have high and consistent expectations

Most of us would consider we have high expectations for kids, which is good. However, don’t let your high expectations limit your students with what they can accomplish. Your students will reach and often surpass your high expectations and when they do, don’t hold them back. Often our perception of what they can accomplish limits them, even when they are set at high levels. Push the students and they will surprise you…and you might surprise yourself. Also, those expectations need to be held consistent throughout the building. Expectations are the Constitution of the school and need to be known and upheld in all areas at all times. Students from trauma or adverse backgrounds have significant difficulties adapting to differing systems or environments.

• Scaffold instruction to grade level standards

Kids need access to grade level curriculum and grade level expectations. Yes, some students are not ready for it but if we keep playing catch up by working on math facts when they are in the middle school, they are never going to get exposed to higher level thinking. Educators need to find ways to expose all students to grade level curriculum and standards while scaffolding their learning or finding ways to provide intervention to them outside of the core instruction.

• Teach vocabulary explicitly

Vocabulary, vocabulary, and more vocabulary. You’ve read the research, students coming from a poverty background have been exposed to an incredible shortage of words compared to their peers brought up in a middle class home. What does this mean to you as an educator? You have to go double time to expose kids to vocabulary that is varied, challenging, and new to them. Students need a rich vocabulary environment to catch up and this doesn’t mean that you teach the same themed words that come with the various seasons. You have to be intentional about this and constantly on the lookout for opportunities to build this. Focus not only on the Tier 3 words which are content specific but provide ample exposure to the Tier 2 words that provide meaning and comprehension.

• Get your students engaged and excited

If you aren’t engaged and excited, your students won’t be engaged or excited, it is as simple as that. You have to look for ways to connect the learning and content standards back to the students. How can you capture their attention? Show your excitement and get passionate! Use relevant practices and put the students in charge of their own learning. Groups, pairs, share outs, questions and reflections encourage deeper thinking and provide meaning.

• Reflect and reflect often

Teaching and learning can be a rushed, fast paced experience only it doesn’t have to be. As an educator and learner, time needs to be built into the day or class period where students reflect on what they’ve learning and make meaning of it. This helps with processing information as they reconcile it with their prior knowledge and work to make the information stick. This is a great opportunity for thinking to be clarified, questions to be sought, or learning to be extended. Simple journal responses are a great way to incorporate this into the classroom.

• Provide multiple opportunities. Strive to embed learning.

We all have bad days and so do students. Just because you taught something or gave a test doesn’t mean that you are done with the concept and move on. Students come to school with a lot of baggage that we aren’t always aware of. By allowing students to retake tests, learn from their mistakes, or circling back through the curriculum will allow more students to access your instruction and for you to have a better understanding of where they are at with their learning. Let’s face it, learning can be messy and if you try to put it into a simple box or say a single class period and then move on, it isn’t always effective.

• Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable

If you have a struggling student and you aren’t sure how you can help, just ask. By showing that you are human too and not just an authoritarian figure, it can go a long way.

What are the Most Common Barriers to Learning in School?

Here, we look at the various social, cultural and emotional barriers to learning, and link to some of the many practical resources on the Success at School site which will help you tackle them.

1. Motivation or "availability to learn"

A student’s availability to learn depends largely on their motivation. Our personal desire to achieve results and improve our knowledge, regardless of the material being studied, is one of the most important factors in our ability to learn.

Looking at Maslow’s Hierarchy of school needs, we see that self-actualization comes top of the list in the essential ‘needs’ that we require to learn. A lack of motivation is a major barrier to student’s learning and without the desire to achieve; students often end up doing the bare minimum amount of work in the classroom, enough to get by but not enough to really enhance their learning. A lack of motivation to study typically results in students going through the motions of learning and not retaining information.

2. Social and cultural barriers

student's ability to interact with others greatly impacts their

learning

A child’s ability to interact socially with their peers has a significant impact on how they progress in the classroom.The very act of learning in a classroom environment involves interacting with other students, talking through problems and finding solutions.

Why interaction is important

In today’s classroom with an average of 17.8 pupils per teacher (14.5 elsewhere in Europe according to statistical agency Eurostat), peer to peer learning in schools is important now more than ever.

Discussing lessons with other students helps pupils realise their own strengths and weaknesses and enables them to improve their knowledge gaps, learning directly from their classmates.

School students who have poor social skills often fall behind in their learning as they aren’t able to communicate as effectively as others. Of course, not all types of learning requires students to be social, but in the early years in particular, the ability to listen, respond and empathise with other people are all important learning skills.

How environment can shape social skills

The culture in which a child grows up can also have a bearing on their ability to learn. Looking at Maslow’s table, ‘belonging’ is one of the most essential learning needs. The relationships that we form with our parents, friends and teachers all feed into our ability to learn.

As humans, we are hugely influenced by the people around us and during our first 5 years, our principal influencers are our parents or guardians. The beliefs that our parents hold and the cultures that they embrace can heavily influence how we learn as students. For example, if a student has grown up in a household where mathematical subjects are given more weight that languages, that student may have a cultural barrier when it comes to learning subjects like English.

3. Emotional factors that affect learning

A student's self-esteem plays an important role in their ability

to learn

The encouragement that we receive from our teachers, parents and friends plays an important role in our emotional learning. If a student adopts a mindset of ‘always trying their best’ and learning from past failures, they’ll generally have a positive outlook on their ability to learn. On the other hand, if a student’s internal voice is always telling them that they’re not good enough or that there’s no point in even trying, they’re more likely to underachieve in school.

A student’s emotional wellbeing majorly impacts their ability to do well at school. Students who lack confidence and are afraid to take educated guesses could have emotional issues that are affecting their learning. There can be a number of emotional factors at play in a student’s learning including fear of embarrassment, doubt and inadequacy, all of which can lead to self-sabotaging emotional states.

Generally speaking, negative emotions can be reduced by setting expectations, focusing on the positives and setting goals for the future.

4. Personal issues that can affect learning

On an individual level, students often have personal issues that affect their learning. For example, students with diagnosed learning difficulties like autism or Asperger’s syndrome will find certain elements of learning more challenging than others. Similarly, students with learning impairments like dyslexia may find that their personal barriers hinder their progress at times.

On a practical level, factors such as transport, location, language and access to resources can all present blocks to learning for some students. For example, school pupils who don’t speak English as their first language may find following instructions more difficult than native English speakers. Or students who live in remote locations may find that a lack of access to resources like the internet plays a big part in their ability to learn.

What we can do

For more practical advice on reducing learning barriers, check out this useful video:

 Having an awareness of some of these learning roadblocks can help us as teachers, careers advisors and parents understand the individual needs of our students or children.

Learning barriers affect students differently and there’s no ‘right’ way to reduce them. Generally speaking, a collective effort form friends, family and teachers in supporting students to overcome any obstacles is a good starting point.