Prelude
All study and no play makes Jack a dull man. Only academics do not ensure the all-round development encompassing your child’s brain, personality and psychological aspects. It is important to let your children loose sometimes and let them enjoy activities without any judgments or pressure. The importance of physical and other creative activities has been acknowledged.
At GIIS Ahmedabad, we have incorporated a lot of activities in our school curriculum to make sure that the children are regularly engaged in fun activities and let their creative juices out. Such extracurricular activity ideas also help children find their hobbies and develop a passion, which might open doors to career opportunities for them in the future.
Highlight the variety of available activities.
National Public Schools offering CBSE syllabus offer a diverse range of extracurricular activities for students to sign up for. These student motivation strategies include various sports like football, cricket, basketball, dancesport, indoor games like chess, carrom, etc. Besides sports, there are ample opportunities for students to be inclined towards arts through music, dance, dramatics, sketching, etc.
For intellectually oriented students, science clubs, literary clubs, and debate societies offer a stimulating environment. Schools make sure to have activities catering to varied interests to ensure every student can participate in something they are passionate about. Regular publicity of ongoing activities and sign-ups helps ignite student curiosity.
Create a supportive and inclusive environment.
An inclusive environment where every student’s participation is encouraged and applauded goes a long way in building enthusiasm. Teachers should make an effort to understand introverted students’ personalities and talents to guide them toward suitable activities. Students need to feel that their efforts, big or small, are acknowledged with appreciation rather than comparisons or criticisms. This fosters confidence and a willingness to overcome limitations. Focusing on learning through activities rather than just winning motivates more balanced involvement.
Promoting group activities
Students tend to feel more at ease taking part in activities with others rather than solo efforts. Educators can advocate for group undertakings, shared rehearsals, and team athletic contests to decrease the tension of carrying out individually. Collaborating in synchronised groups cultivates values of team spirit and reliance on mutual assistance instead of competition. It also makes sure diverse abilities and talents within groups are maximised.
Offer a variety of time slots and flexible options.
Clashing timetables of academic and extra classes leave little time for many to explore activities. Schools can address this by offering multiple time slots for practices and competitions on suitable days. Also, flexible options like preliminary preparations at home, self-paced learning, etc., can help include maximum participation. As per CBSE International School, accommodating different students’ schedules respects their priorities and efforts to strike a work-life balance even as kids.
Highlighting Success Stories
Highlighting exemplary participation of past students in school magazines and annual functions inspires the student community. Knowing alumni who successfully pursued extracurricular interests as career options builds aspirations. Students should be celebrated for excelling in diverse fields rather than stereotypical notions of success. This can ignite interest in relatively less popular activities as well. Success stories showcase a balanced lifestyle and motivate students to aim for strengths beyond academics.
Provide incentives and recognition.
Appreciating efforts goes a long way than just celebrating extraordinary successes. Some schools effectively implement recognition programs through merits/awards, activity-specific scholarships, and rank incentives. Certificates and trophies handed out regularly during events and annual functions motivate continued and new involvement. Monetary rewards subtly encourage excellence without adding pressure. Teachers can also initiate rewards through encouraged peer nominations each month to bring out varied talents.
Foster peer support and mentorship
Upper-class students can voluntarily sign up as mentors or buddies for juniors in specific activities as part of community service. This cultivates peer leadership and chances of continued guidance even without constant teacher monitoring. Assigning mentors and enabling camaraderie within activity clubs provides much-needed social and emotional support for shy students to learn freely through interactions. Senior mentors benefit from such roles too to enhance their teaching/coordination abilities.
Concluding Remarks
By instituting best practices to address apprehensions and diversify opportunities, schools can effectively develop an inclusive culture of active participation in extracurricular activities. Continuous efforts by the management and faculty to prioritise building student confidence as part of the learning process will have a long-term impact on developing well-rounded individuals. An ideal example is GIIS-Ahmedabad, whose holistic international education approach to co-curricular initiatives facilitates overall student growth and development.
