I am contemplating my retirement, due in a couple of years. It has made me realise how much I enjoy teaching.
When I had completed my PhD, the idea of teaching in a college was totally unappealing. I thought teaching the same syllabus over and over would be awfully boring. I was very keen on research.
After a hiatus of 10 years, when I realised that I could not go back to research, I applied for a teaching job with utmost reluctance. It was a case of making do. In fact, I hated my first teaching job and was really bad at it.
But now, I find teaching really enjoyable. I have realised I am good at it.
I do not find teaching the same thing again and again, boring at all.
It is the students you are teaching to, that determine your lecture, not the content. Every time I teach a topic, it is different both in how I teach it and how it is received. In fact, after the first time, the lecture gets more fun for me. The first time I teach a topic, all my concentration is on the content. I have read up a few books, made my notes, but I am not fully clear with how I am going to explain the concept. The second time, I am better...my concentration is half and half..... a bit on the content and a bit on the actual teaching.
After that, my whole effort is on the teaching process. I am fully familiar with the content and the lecture becomes better and it is really enjoyable.
2 comments:
Thanks for sharing. I noticed that too. I've only taught for 1.5 years now (my third semester). I've noticed the content gets 100% easier the second and third time.
Thanks for the comment. You may also find the teaching process gets easier- more fluid- and you develop a knack for pitching it just at the right level for the particular class.
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