still counting
It's another Friday--which means it's another time to be glad. Not that I don't get some enjoyment out of the days when I teach my full 4 classes, but usually it's only during my Friday class that I feel like teaching really can be fun.
Then, there are also the days when I feel like a little muttering fool in front of my classes. When no one's talking and so I just stand there and act a little bit silly, flinging my arms from side to side, making faces at the students to try and get them to say something... anything. Or, when I stand there and wait, making everyone feel a little uncomfortable while I hope they are thinking of what they could possibly say to make me move on to the next question or assignment.
Sometimes, the students are downright sweet--and I know they wish they were learning, but they can't help feeling shy and afraid... and they don't know what to do to make it any better for me or for themselves. This is when I have to take a mental step back and try to relax; to try and smile at them. Let them know I'm not angry at them, just a little bit dismayed and unsure of how exactly I am supposed to behave. But, sometimes it's beyond hope: the teacher can't do everything for the students. The teacher can't teach the students if the students refuse to make their own efforts to learn.
How to teach this without sounding belittling, or without using language that further confounds the students... this semester hasn't taught me that so far, or maybe it has and it's just too far-gone to put this knowledge into effect. Maybe 2nd semester will bring improvements in students' motivations and in my teaching... Here's to more hoping.
But, yesterday I did have a nice surprise.
I had been dreading going to my 2nd class, since that's the one where the student's behave the worst--coming in late, talking when they enter, talking while they're in class, throwing things across the room, reading novels, sleeping, not bringing their textbooks, etc.--and I showed up to find a little memo written on the chalkboard "Section 431 moved to SR 308, 9:00-10:30." My part of this section--same section, just pt. 2--was supposed to start at 10:30, so I thought maybe the students would come back. I waited a few minutes--until 10:36, when I decided to get on the elevator and head over to the SR building to check on my students. There at the elevator, I met three of my students who had come to tell me that they were watching a movie with their other teacher (another American recent-graduate), and they wanted to know if they could stick around to finish the film.
Be my guest!
I happily responded; and I got to join them in the Disney film-fest (though it wasn't Beauty and the Beast). As it happened when class time was up, the first teacher had stopped the movie and told them to go back to my part of the class, but NO ONE got up. I think my students like my class just as much as I do. We were all happy and relieved to be entertained (and, yes, there was some learning done, I think), rather than forced to sit together and go through the class exercises again.
But THERE ARE ONLY 5 MORE MEETINGS WITH EACH CLASS YET. And guess who's excited.
Then, there are also the days when I feel like a little muttering fool in front of my classes. When no one's talking and so I just stand there and act a little bit silly, flinging my arms from side to side, making faces at the students to try and get them to say something... anything. Or, when I stand there and wait, making everyone feel a little uncomfortable while I hope they are thinking of what they could possibly say to make me move on to the next question or assignment.
Sometimes, the students are downright sweet--and I know they wish they were learning, but they can't help feeling shy and afraid... and they don't know what to do to make it any better for me or for themselves. This is when I have to take a mental step back and try to relax; to try and smile at them. Let them know I'm not angry at them, just a little bit dismayed and unsure of how exactly I am supposed to behave. But, sometimes it's beyond hope: the teacher can't do everything for the students. The teacher can't teach the students if the students refuse to make their own efforts to learn.
How to teach this without sounding belittling, or without using language that further confounds the students... this semester hasn't taught me that so far, or maybe it has and it's just too far-gone to put this knowledge into effect. Maybe 2nd semester will bring improvements in students' motivations and in my teaching... Here's to more hoping.
But, yesterday I did have a nice surprise.
I had been dreading going to my 2nd class, since that's the one where the student's behave the worst--coming in late, talking when they enter, talking while they're in class, throwing things across the room, reading novels, sleeping, not bringing their textbooks, etc.--and I showed up to find a little memo written on the chalkboard "Section 431 moved to SR 308, 9:00-10:30." My part of this section--same section, just pt. 2--was supposed to start at 10:30, so I thought maybe the students would come back. I waited a few minutes--until 10:36, when I decided to get on the elevator and head over to the SR building to check on my students. There at the elevator, I met three of my students who had come to tell me that they were watching a movie with their other teacher (another American recent-graduate), and they wanted to know if they could stick around to finish the film.
Be my guest!
I happily responded; and I got to join them in the Disney film-fest (though it wasn't Beauty and the Beast). As it happened when class time was up, the first teacher had stopped the movie and told them to go back to my part of the class, but NO ONE got up. I think my students like my class just as much as I do. We were all happy and relieved to be entertained (and, yes, there was some learning done, I think), rather than forced to sit together and go through the class exercises again.
But THERE ARE ONLY 5 MORE MEETINGS WITH EACH CLASS YET. And guess who's excited.
posted by B-Go at
8:59 PM
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