Ever since i first started teaching freelance, I have been meaning to write about my classroom experiences.
The nervousness in facing a bunch of 17 year olds fresh from school (!?) The learning not to react or wonder if the snide chuckles and shuffles in the back rows pertain to you in some way...the first time you get that look of blank incomprehension when you have raced ahead and have an entire sea of confounded faces staring at you....the first time when they ask you something on the one topic that you haven't the faintest clue of and are too embarrassed to admit....teaching for me, really has its days!
There probably isn’t a bigger cliche line about teaching than the one that goes, that to be a good teacher, you have to be a good student....But seriously the things I’ve learnt when I have taught!!
I’ve learnt that students are far prompter about sending you friend requests on Facebook than they are ever gonna be about mailing you assignments. I’ve seen that when I sound unsure about how they will receive what i am saying, they too seem unsure about how to react to that information.
I've seen the importance of setting context before starting. Why are we learning this? How will we use this? and How is it relevant? are questions you should take time out to answer.
There are days when i am discouraged by the quiet in the class and there are days i have gone with no prepared lesson and made up a class on conversation and real time examples and come back charged and high on the class’ participation.
I’ve observed that I make a far better impact when I stray off the prepared lesson and draw from what they are saying and build the lesson around it.
I’ve also learnt that they are probably gonna learn far more from each other than from me as long as I can spark off an interesting debate between them.
I’ve come around to realise that as a teacher its more important that students learn to arrive at an informed viewpoint about the subject rather than have thorough knowledge of the topic.
I’ve come to believe ‘google it’ or ‘i will get back to you on that’ is a good response to a question you cant answer.
I’ve realised that a significant part of teaching has to be devoted to one on one interactions with students who come up to you.
I’ve learnt that to be one of those rockstar teachers who can keep disinterested students up at 2:00 p.m on a sunny afternoon after a heavy lunch takes practice and straight from the heart involvement with what you teach.
I’ve learnt (from a really inspiring teacher himself) that the core of a subject is in the first line of the textbook (an NCERT one, in many cases) and that as a teacher its your job start there. Biology, for example, is the study of living things. And once you know that, you really cant actually hate the subject, you know.
I’ve watched it makes a world of difference when you ask people to use their hands and fingers to do stuff than just cut copy paste on the computer. Draw, write, cut with scissors and stick with glue.
But the most important thing I think I learnt, was from my dad. About the time i started teaching, I came home one evening wondering if it was worth my time to teach a bunch of disinterested students who’ve shown up for the sake of attendance, a grade and a paper diploma. After hearing me talk about my first class he remarked to no one in particular that there is no such thing as disinterested students, It just means that the teacher hasn't yet figured out how to engage them.
The nervousness in facing a bunch of 17 year olds fresh from school (!?) The learning not to react or wonder if the snide chuckles and shuffles in the back rows pertain to you in some way...the first time you get that look of blank incomprehension when you have raced ahead and have an entire sea of confounded faces staring at you....the first time when they ask you something on the one topic that you haven't the faintest clue of and are too embarrassed to admit....teaching for me, really has its days!
There probably isn’t a bigger cliche line about teaching than the one that goes, that to be a good teacher, you have to be a good student....But seriously the things I’ve learnt when I have taught!!
I’ve learnt that students are far prompter about sending you friend requests on Facebook than they are ever gonna be about mailing you assignments. I’ve seen that when I sound unsure about how they will receive what i am saying, they too seem unsure about how to react to that information.
I've seen the importance of setting context before starting. Why are we learning this? How will we use this? and How is it relevant? are questions you should take time out to answer.
There are days when i am discouraged by the quiet in the class and there are days i have gone with no prepared lesson and made up a class on conversation and real time examples and come back charged and high on the class’ participation.
I’ve observed that I make a far better impact when I stray off the prepared lesson and draw from what they are saying and build the lesson around it.
I’ve also learnt that they are probably gonna learn far more from each other than from me as long as I can spark off an interesting debate between them.
I’ve come around to realise that as a teacher its more important that students learn to arrive at an informed viewpoint about the subject rather than have thorough knowledge of the topic.
I’ve come to believe ‘google it’ or ‘i will get back to you on that’ is a good response to a question you cant answer.
I’ve realised that a significant part of teaching has to be devoted to one on one interactions with students who come up to you.
I’ve learnt that to be one of those rockstar teachers who can keep disinterested students up at 2:00 p.m on a sunny afternoon after a heavy lunch takes practice and straight from the heart involvement with what you teach.
I’ve learnt (from a really inspiring teacher himself) that the core of a subject is in the first line of the textbook (an NCERT one, in many cases) and that as a teacher its your job start there. Biology, for example, is the study of living things. And once you know that, you really cant actually hate the subject, you know.
I’ve watched it makes a world of difference when you ask people to use their hands and fingers to do stuff than just cut copy paste on the computer. Draw, write, cut with scissors and stick with glue.
But the most important thing I think I learnt, was from my dad. About the time i started teaching, I came home one evening wondering if it was worth my time to teach a bunch of disinterested students who’ve shown up for the sake of attendance, a grade and a paper diploma. After hearing me talk about my first class he remarked to no one in particular that there is no such thing as disinterested students, It just means that the teacher hasn't yet figured out how to engage them.
