Having studied in school for such a long period, I am now aware of what makes students learn. Students will love the lessons only when they find it fun and interesting. Even the word "fun" can be interpreted in different ways, it can basically represent the enjoyment, excitement, or openness that students expect from you as their teacher. Students are unique and have their own ways when it comes to learning process, knowing them individually gives teachers more insight to present their ideas when teaching so it will create wonderful classroom atmosphere.
In a large classroom covering more that 25 students, teaching can be quite tiresome, where a teacher often feels overwhelmed. Preparing detailed lesson plans with clear objectives is a need though it might not always work the way you want. It is obvious that teaching and learning process only work great when both sides try to collaboratively help one another; student and teacher need to work together to achieve the long term goals.
As I am myself a teacher, a novice one. I have to admit that teaching isn't as easy as memorizing certain math formulas, it takes your courage, energy, knowledge (for sure), and the most important is what makes you teach. I would say it is easy to teach if you just want to meet the objectives, throwing all the theories into students' brain. and I haven't seen any benefits of such a thing unless if you don't care what your students expect from you.
It has been proved that traditional teaching method doesn't offer any significant contributions for the long run. Forcing students to learn something will not bring any good, yet letting them learn something they enjoy most while supporting them with guidance will certainly do. As a teacher, one should understand that learning process occurs when students feel the joy to have you around, when they feel lonely once they don't find you in class. If students find it interesting when you teach them, they will find no excuse to miss your class. When that happens, students will learn everything easily and this what really matters a lot to them.
Unfortunately, we haven't got many teachers who are fully committed to teaching. We have to do our best to teach by heart, we ought to produce more interesting activities to help students learn at their best, we need to focus on the process, let students explore and feel what they have to learn. We have to be more sensitive that we are creating the best future generation, we are acting as a role model that our teaching could be the one our students will be using once they one day become educators.
At the end of the day, what really matters is you as an individual. The person that your students will miss because they always enjoy your teaching. The moment when some of your students come to greet you telling you that they have made their dreams come true: as a teacher, a pilot, a businessmen, or any prestigious jobs you might have wanted but you didn't take it because you decided to be a teacher, and now you are creating the jobs for your students. The moment when you receive emails telling you that most of your students have succeeded and they really thank you for providing endless support, wonderful motivation, and constant encouragement for which they survive academically.
Teaching is neither a job nor a profession. It is the action you do because the passion you have. It is neither money nor appreciation that counts, it is the calling from the inside from an ordinary human being. Teaching is anywhere and it happens anytime. Teaching doesn't care who you are, it cares what you really are. Teaching doesn't have to be expensive, it has to be simple and interesting.
Teaching is learning. we learn to teach and we teach to learn.
BNA city, Tuesday October 21, 2014
