We have a catch 22 situation in our higher education. Yes, we want to change the way testing of learning outcome, but who will correct those test papers? Most of the teaching staff of all our colleges have been taught to recite "In a large tank, the well-powdered ore is taken..." verbatim. Even those of us who deplore this form of teaching have been testing the students with the standard questions expecting the standard answers. We have to, unless we are able to take a 20% or 30% pass results in the university exams. Those of you familiar with our colleges will understand what I mean.
About the quoted words, its something I will never forget.
At school, the day we went for our final ISC exam we were given a chocolate each and told "Keep your wits sbout you" by our Principal . I enjoyed the exams (really). It was the same feeling as I get now when I get the morning paper to do the sudoku... a challenge that I enjoyed meeting and met very well , if I may boast.
Then I went to this college (full of university rankers) . Here, Inorganic Chemistry was taught by this prof who would teach exactly as if he was reciting the textbook, but never brought a single piece of paper to the class. The next day, he would ask us to tell him what was taught in the previous class. I could never remember and would try to pretend I didnt exist.
The froth flotation method was recited by him one day and the next day sure enough, the "class topper" recited it verbatim "In a large tank, the well-powdered ore is taken...." I was thunderstruck. How could she remember it ? I never forgot this sentence ...it's been 37 years!! But I dont remember anything else from what I was taught in college.
At school I was going to be this brilliant chemist, doing some unspecified but earth-shaking research in Chemistry (I loved it). At college, I hated all forms of chemistry with equal fervour. It was soooooo boring.
It took me a while to start liking it again.
That's why, when one student said "Oh wow" when I had explained something in their syllabus, it made me feel really happy.
7 comments:
if you are blogging on teaching.. maybe you can really make this an useful blog where students can come and get advice on how to study and so on... ......
:-)
Good idea. Will think about it Thanks. Maybe start a separate one for students..I have a yahoogroup for my students
uninterested student and boring lectures just numb the mind.Fault id from both the side and 'ratantoo' people like you have mentioned carve their place in every sector.Highly unoriginal people rule this education sector.
Yayaver: It is not easy to be interesting ...
If I may say something? I am not a teacher but taught one semester in an MBA college one subject 61 students.. first time.. i did not have problems.. so I think now what is the problem of being interesting?
"Interesting" word comes from "interest". Right? No I feel it is wrong!!
If u think that then you will think the problem is that "student is not taking 'interest' " or "Teacher is not taking 'interest' " and so on..
Stress here shld be on 'Interesting' so then you will think 'What' to make interesting? 'how' comes later.
So "What"? well subject is not in your hands!1 If you are teaching something that goes over the head or is PLAIN boring you can do NOTHING abt the subject.. if the SUBJECT is interesting then no problem na? no efforts either!! all are happy!
So what to do if subject is not interesting? how to attract student's interest? ahh here lies the strength of the teacher.. he or she has to be interesting..
Now since I am not a teacher I cannot advise a teacher.. and also it is not easy to give particular advice for a particular situation.. not possible or adviseable also.. but I WILL SAY the teacher to be interesting has to build a rapport with the students.. This HR this is management.. even a teacher has to be a manager!
This is TODAY! not earlier days when people were different.. now the youngsters have changed.. so teacher has to change also..
This is the 'HOW'-- first create a rapport with the students.. be friendly.. let go.. joke.. laugh with them.. mix with them.. be their friend not their teacher.. while teaching stop.. and let them chat cut and then go back to that boring formula..
This is just the beginning.. THINK.. maybe you will get..
Excuse me pls for the advice..
It works like this...
Even if just a couple of students show interest, just by looking interested, a kind of undercurrent builds up in the class. Then a talk becomes interesting;there is interaction,everyone enjoys the session; it is invigorating. But that catalyst has to be there.
This also is true..! anything is fair in love and war they say and teaching a bunch of students is indeed both War and Love!
Btw .. I dnt rbr how you landed in my blog.. u are very recent.. but in recent few days I have suddenly gained new readers.. and not just readers I find as I am talking to them! Some change.. so i have made a different type of post today.. you may like to see.. :-)
bbye
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