(Original post can be found here)
I have the most awful memories about a Chemistry teacher in high school. He lacked the ability to explain complex topics in a simple manner, and made his students feel stupid if we couldn't comprehend his lessons, as if his incompetence was somehow our fault.
I thought I was dumb. I thought Chemistry was the most difficult subject ever ... until I took Science classes in college under different teachers, and to my shock, realized that I could understand what seemed formerly incomprehensible! It was the teacher, after all, and not myself to blame.
Still, I am grateful to this chemistry teacher. He taught me how NOT to teach, and what kind of person NOT to be.
One of the seismic changes in education globally this year entailed my taking on a high school Science class, apart from my usual comfort zone of humanities subjects (English, Drama, etc.). In January we shall be embarking on the Chemistry portion of the curriculum, and I've dug up my old textbook (oh hello Zumdahl we meet again). I also got THIS new reference from FULLY BOOKED and look forward to devouring it over the Christmas break!
It's made to look like a real notebook :) Turning the pages is a delight, and the language is very student-friendly!
In truth, I envy the students of today a bit. They have, at their fingertips, access to infinite sources of knowledge!
The role of a teacher nowadays, I think, should be less that of lecturer filling in empty minds, but more of a buffet restaurant owner.
Our job is to scour the Internet and what books we have access to, for the best, simplest, and most interesting explanations of our topic... then present this in condensed form to our students.
All students are intelligent, I believe. We just need to make them see it, and believe it themselves.
In this brave new world of hybrid teaching, I think the biggest mistake any teacher can make now is to teach how they have been taught. Here's to embracing the challenge of doing better!
(And yes, I'm aware that this is contrary to what teacher education is like in my country -- focused more on uncritical implementation of modules or a single, solitary textbook that may be full of errors -- but let's save that debate for another time!)
What subjects terrified you as a student? Were you able to find a book to help you pass a class?
No comments:
Post a Comment