My first day of teaching passed off without incident. My class was at 4 pm and I was too distracted to do anything else before it. I probably drove my colleagues nuts with my fidgeting so by the time it was 4 pm, both they and I were quite relieved.
What I have realized is that I am good at explaining stuff but not so good at encouraging discussion among the students. To get them to be more than passive listeners. I feel myself talking at them rather than talking to them. In an age where teachers are pushed to get students to "engage", I don't think I am doing a particularly good job. But, I try to be friendly and approachable without needing to banter. I can't banter, least of all with British kids, so I don't even try. I believe to be a good teacher you need to be not disliked. It is difficult to explain anything to an audience that doesn't like you because they are hostile and too guarded to pay attention to what you are saying. So, I don't aim to be liked, only to not be disliked.
No comments:
Post a Comment