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What is a “student profile” and do we really understand the concept and what it entails? Pondering the question leads me to believe that the average teacher is oblivious to the wealth of information that can be obtained from such a profile, if compiled with care and with the awareness that each student should be treated and seen as a unique individual with specific needs. In my experience teachers tend to miss the concept of the student profile and focus on the class as a whole. It is my understanding that the average student profile is compiled through information supplied by the students themselves, the teacher’s personal interaction and involvement with the student. Psychometric assessments as well as his or her test results compiled during his scholastic career. There are many more tests not mentioned here used to compile a student profile, most of them measuring the student to the norm. I am concerned that when teaching a new group of students, does the teacher use this resource to learn more from his or her students? If the answer to the question is no, then why have a student profile? If it is yes, then why don’t we include more relevant information into this profile? Information such as family background, family income, students’ private obligations, hobby’s and aspirations. What about personality traits and predilections? Probably the most important of them all is the method of teaching the student react best to? For example visual, auditory, read and write or kinaesthetic? We all realise that the ESA method caters for most of my concerns regarding teaching style, but it is also my experience that so many students falls through the cracks due to teachers not being aware that different approaches to teaching works better for some students than others. It is my opinion that student profiles, although it contains some information about the student, is not capacious enough and not always student focused, but to a large extent teacher centred. When the student profile is used properly as intended it can save the teacher valuable time and ensure a more efficient approach in the classroom which will result in students achieving better results. Whilst still using the ESA method of teaching you will also have an awareness to create the best possible teaching method to tailor fit the lesson according to the specific needs of the student. Not only will your lesson planning change, but your approach and your teaching methodology will change to such an extent that the positive outcomes will be surpassing. Student academic confidence, rapport with your students and even your own confidence in the classroom as a teacher will be enhanced. By doing a proper student profile, you demonstrate to yourself, your peers, and the student that you actually do take accountability. I am fully aware that teachers are not psychologists, but sometimes we must do our best to act like one, as it is part of your duty as a teacher to try and understand the student’s personality, preferences and individuality. By not using the existing student profile and adding some updated and more relevant information about the student, the teacher is serving nobody but his own laziness and it can be a reflection of disinterest and doing the job for the sake of earning a living.
