IN mainstream schools in Pakistan, challenges abound. From resource constraints to technological barriers, from limited professional development opportunities to high teacher turnover, the teaching and learning landscape has been contending with several issues. Perhaps the most urgent concern is the large classes that preclude getting to know students personally.
The beauty of traditional teaching lay in the connection students had with their teachers. In developing societies like ours, this connection is critical to progress as the teacher’s influence extends beyond children to their families and the larger community. Teachers in developing societies are seen to be contributing to building communities through values, mentorship and personal oversight. If a student dropped out of school, the teacher would be seen visiting their home to convince the parents to send the child back.
“Excellence is never an accident”, as Aristotle observed. Teachers who demonstrate excellence are usually the ones who are willing to innovate through challenges. Large classes and limited resources often make personalised attention difficult. In this context, the teacher’s capacity for differentiated instruction is curtailed. However, there are ways to navigate these difficulties without overburdening the teacher.
The first one would be to work with infrastructure. Back in the 1960s when John Dewey rearranged the furniture in his classroom to create spaces for collaboration, a simple change led to fantastic results. Grouping or round tables where students could work together, discuss and be involved in a hands-on learning experience was the focus of Dewey’s role for the teacher. The furniture rearrangement was replicated in schools worldwide. His methods are equally relevant in Pakistan today where the demands of technology-mediated education make it necessary to rethink teaching.
Newer methods imply letting go of old habits.
Most teachers now recognise that students cannot be taught with traditional methods. Academic achievement rests on catering to the needs of individual students. Newer methods would imply letting go of old habits such as passive classes where students listen to the teacher who enjoys a great deal of talk time. Students like to speak, get involved in hands-on work, critique what is being taught and work together. Clearly, a lot has to change in our classroom environment.
In Dewey’s approach, the onus is on educators to create an environment conducive to changing the culture of learning and to develop ways for students to have an immersive experience. Studying can become a goal to be chased with a passion, rather than remain a chore.
When teachers allow students to present their own learning, projects or concepts, they provide an opportunity to showcase achievement and, as students lead the class, their peers learn from them. A student who may not understand a teacher’s method, may benefit from their peer’s presentation. Those who are quick learners get to teach, and this gives the teacher a window to assess and differentiate between strong learners and those who need additional help.
Another fantastic concept that Dewey introduced was the morning meeting and the closing circle — both meant to give students an opportunity to talk as the teacher checks in and ensures that the day begins and ends on a positive note. This helps students’ level of responsiveness throughout the day.
Teaching excellence can also show up in how teachers enable each student — how much encouragement they can provide, how much empathy they have for the student’s academic struggle, how much patience they exhibit with a student’s lack of behavioural regulation. Each of these areas can be a game changer for a teacher who has managed to make the students feel valued, connected to learning and motivated to improve.
Teachers can devise their own techniques of differentiation in lessons. Some students learn through examples, many others learn through manipulatives and context clues or by teaching one another. Others learn through an inquiry-based approach where they are challenged with higher-order thinking questions. Most differentiation tools have one thing in common: they involve the students in engaging with content as best as possible.
Student engagement with content is important for all subjects, but especially useful if we are to teach problem-solving skills, develop motivation and curiosity to learn independently. Excellence in education is not so much about learning content as responding to it, building on what is learnt and being able to teach it further. After all, the most successful teachers are not the ones who produce teachers, but just great learners.
Article (Opinion) Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2026
