Cares about Teaching ! : By Giada
In my life I had as many teachers as many of us. Some of them had fascinated us, some of them not. I want to talk about my experience as a student. When I was in middle school there was a very special teacher, but unfortunately I realized it only after years.
She taught math and sciences, two disciplines that I never liked because I didn't understand it. My valuations on it were low or sufficient, but she encouraged me every time to not lose the motivation and to do better. She was good, also because she always engaged to explain the argument in a different way, also finding alternative ways to explain. She was a very good teacher but also punctual about activities with all students, so sometimes I lost my motivation, but now I realize that I also needed this. My success was not valuation but continuing to engage me in math to understand at least a few. I think it is also only to understand that for joint success we have to fail sometimes.
How to teach it is a simple question that has many answers, in fact teaching it is a complex and difficult task that demands extraordinary abilities. Teaching is not reading the book, if the teacher does it wouldn’t be needed in schools.
First we have to ask ourselves, “What is teaching?” From the dictionary it is explain and expose in a thought, organized way a discipline to someone because the apprentice. Although teaching is not a mere transmission of knowledge. In fact when a teacher talks, transmits values like empathy, respect for others and rules and coworking. It can be for this reason that the teacher had in his/her life remained etched in the mind. Teachers influence children and persons because we learn from him/her, we learn the knowledge but also from the behaviors, from the attitudes and way of doing.
We have to ask ourselves: “Who are my students?” We have to know them. We have to know which are their needs, why don't they understand this argument? Also we understand which level they have, which interests they have. Only in this way, we can personalize the teaching. A classical way for teaching is to explain the argument, but this sometimes can be boring for the listeners. So personalization means changing the way to do lessons. For example here there are 3 activities to change the way of teaching: 1. A student or the teacher can read the lesson and another person can explain to the other what they read; 2. prepare an argument and ask what they think about it and why; 3. Every student can prepare a different argument and then discuss it. In other different activities help promote exchange of ideas between students, help to get to know students and then to create groups.
Creating a climate of positive learning needs clear rules that everybody respects. 1. Rules, as we said before, keep respect for each other and discipline. Rules need to be clear and simple. But it is important in this area students feel free to wrong to learn better and everyone can wronging. and where students feel appreciated. That encourages students to be more present in class. 2. Giving an answer immediately to their questions shows the teacher pays attention to students, to their doubts or questions. But maybe this can distract the teacher, so it can reserve a space for questions at the end. 3. Another tip to create this climate is to recognise the results, also small successes have the right to be celebrated, in this way the students will be encouraged to do better and motivates them to continue to engage.
In the meanwhile we cannot claim puppets for children, they are still children and give them the opportunity to wrong. Also, adult people are wrong. Why shouldn’t wrong children? So if they don’t respect rules, like silence, doing homework, punctuality, they will face the consequences which may be known on the register, negative vote. You don’t need to be strict because it works in the moment but they don’t learn to listen truly and why it is important to listen. With strictness human beings will learn to be puppets when there’s need and not thinking with his mind.
By putting these cares and strategies into practice, students will be more likely to feel part of a group and therefore feel more likely to participate in the lesson. This is not a recipe for being the perfect teacher, but suggestions to adopt and make your own.
Finally, if the teacher feels lost or feels that he has no grip, it is understandable because teaching is not easy, nor working with children and guys. What the teacher can do is talking with his/her colleagues and if he/she wants to think about a solution together.
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