Should we always work on student weaknesses or should we also promote their strengths? Why?

 

A teacher always has to deal with the issue of how to engage with students whether in a traditional class or in an online learning environment. If a student has a lot of weaknesses, they will not be able to excel in their studies unless they work on those weak points of their learning pedagogy. But where does this leave students' strongest points? Shouldn't we also emphasize the need of continuing to work on areas that you are already strong at? 

It is now widely agreed that both developing students' strengths and addressing their weaknesses are essential components of teaching. It has been found that the most effective teachers have a balance between promoting students’ strengths while also recognizing, prioritizing, and responding to areas where they need improvement. However, it must be said that a teacher must have an understanding of what their students' strengths and weaknesses are in order to develop them accordingly especially in an online learning environment. For example, if one of the areas where a student is struggling in writing essays, it would be beneficial for them to work on this area rather than something else like math or science.

In addition, a teacher or a tutor providing tutoring services must also understand the necessity of being able to take into account students' individual preferences and needs. This is because if a student’s learning pedagogy has different learning patterns or prioritizes certain areas over others, it would be unfair for them not to develop these strengths. By having a balance between promoting strengths and addressing weaknesses, we can create an environment where students feel they are receiving the right kind of guidance and support.

Finally, it is important to note that although there is no universal blueprint for what constitutes good teaching or good student performance, how each individual responds to these measures differs. This is why it is crucial for teachers tutoring service providers to understand these differences and how they can be utilized in order to maximize their students' potential.  As a result of this, teachers must take into account their students' strengths and weaknesses in order to create an effective learning environment that works for them. This balance between developing our student’s strengths and weaknesses will ensure a greater potential for their growth as individuals. It can be argued that if we do not work on their weaknesses, then they will never truly excel in what they are good at or enjoy doing. Thus, it is important for teachers to emphasize the need of continuing to work on areas where students are already strong and also take into account their individual learning patterns and preferences when developing them accordingly.