Walking into a classroom and teaching an amazing lesson that makes an impact on most students is the greatest desire of teachers, coordinators, and even principals. After all, what is most important in school? Without a doubt, it’s that students learn, build knowledge, and apply it in various situations in life.

When it comes to learning, it’s important to keep in mind a few key points, such as selected stimuli, the senses that perceive these stimuli, different perceptions, voluntary attention, and effective strategies for strengthening memory.

Furthermore, it’s worth mentioning that we have different communication channels (preferred representational system: the various means we use to gather information and facilitate learning, based on experiences that involve the human senses). This means that interaction can occur through words, expressions, gestures, sounds, postures, symbols, or colors. By understanding which communication channel you prefer to use, you’ll be able to learn more effectively. It’s no wonder that the philosopher Thales of Miletus said, “Know thyself, and you will know the gods and the universe.”

And how does that work in practice?

Imagine that a teacher has planned an engaging activity for the beginning of class by showing a video clip about the importance of water in our lives. While the video is playing, students interact in different ways, since each group in the classroom has a preferred communication style: some are visual learners, others are auditory or kinesthetic, and of course, we mustn’t forget the digital learners.

The effect—the impact of the music video—is not the same for everyone in the group. Depending on how they engage with it, some will pay more attention to the setting, the costumes, and the color palette; others will focus on the song’s lyrics or melody; some will dance, clap their hands, or tap their feet in time; and there will be those who think about listening to the song on an app or about the technology involved in producing or editing the video. What does this mean? The message is clear: the classroom is a unique space, but it is home to different types of students.

Are you curious? Find out more about the different types of students in the classroom!

Visual learner: - Did you get a haircut, teacher? - He notices everything about you!

They primarily rely on their sense of sight and, in addition to needing eye contact with the teacher, find it easier to absorb content through images or visual elements that broaden the context of what is being taught.

Auditory learner: - Are there any songs about this? - He learns easily when songs are incorporated into the lesson.

Knowledge is built, preferably, through listening: the auditory channel is engaged. It is the student who has the ability to understand, interpret, and distinguish the stimuli received through the spoken word, sounds, and noises, organizing their ideas, concepts, and abstractions based on speech.

Kinesthetic learner: - Teacher, do we have a little game today? - He learns best when the chosen strategies involve movement, interaction, and dynamics.

Someone who has the ability to understand and interpret information based on body movements. This is the student who likes to get hands-on, participate in experiments, group activities, demonstrations, and problem-solving exercises.

Digital student: - Can I read the digital book? - He prefers to complete the activities using technology.

In the midst of the Education 4.0 era and with the rise of digitally native students (particularly Generations Z and Alpha), it is entirely understandable that there are so many students of this type; after all, this is the current trend. Even so, there is a distinct group of tech-savvy students who prefer to complete their assignments using digital platforms, allowing them to learn about the world of computing in a more engaging and efficient way.

It is also worth noting that a student may be more visual at one stage of life and more auditory at another. This is a matter of practice, need, and experimentation. It is also worth noting that a single student may exhibit communication and interaction skills through more than one channel and be both visual and kinesthetic at the same time.

Thus, by understanding the different types of students in the classroom, teachers and staff can develop a variety of strategies and practices to engage the entire group of students and promote consistent learning.

And you—are you a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner? What’s your preferred representational system? Want to find out? How about trying the exercise shown in the following video?

Do you think that's it? Not at all!

Here are some tips for interacting with the different types of students you’ll encounter in a classroom:

Visuals: The teacher can walk around the classroom, move between the rows, praise a piece of material, and even express positive emotions through facial expressions. Create a neat, organized board that is colorful and illustrated, if possible. The suggestion is to make use of visual aids: images, infographics, diagrams, tables, highlighting with colored markers, using Post-its, mind maps, flashcards, movies, and TV shows. A well-delivered lecture using slides will be a success! A great study technique is to create summaries using tables, diagrams, and flowcharts. It’s also helpful to encourage students to form mental images of what they’re studying.

Auditory learners: Teachers can make use of resources such as podcasts, storytelling, and presentations that prioritize oral communication (debates, seminars, roundtables). The use of role-playing, music (1), and audiobooks will also be very helpful for students who are more auditory learners. These students pay close attention to the teacher’s tone of voice during class. Taking notes and recording them to listen to periodically is a great study tip.

• “Music and sound, as forms of energy, stimulate internal and external movement in human beings; they spur them to action and foster within them a variety of behaviors of different qualities and degrees,” says Gainza (1988, p. 22) regarding music education.

The kinesthetic learner: To capture this student’s attention, follow a very dynamic lesson plan. Plan more hands-on activities that involve building or experimenting and that don’t take too long (these students tend to be more restless). Encourage games and dancing. Suggest creating murals, putting on exhibits, working with materials (interaction), and studying with regular breaks to refresh their concentration and focus.

Digital Technology: Do your students show interest in activities they do on their cell phones or tablets? Do they love reading PDF files on e-readers? Do they know how to edit videos, record podcasts, and always have an interesting app to share in class? Don’t be afraid to take advantage of these skills, which are so common among Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Look for tools that incorporate technology: Padlet, Kahoot, Socrative, Quizlet...

Educator, now it's time to put these tips to use and do your best: HAVE A GREAT CLASS!

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