Not So Great Lecturing

After registering for a religion course this fall, I thought I could get a lot out of it, and that it would be of some interest to me.  This fairy tale could, in some dimension, come true. The problem - class.  Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I spend the eleven o'clock hour sitting through a lecture. No variations. No fun. This is college. We are here to learn.  This is quite unfortunate, in my book. 
My skill for guessing at the time is impeccable. Each day, when I think our class's time together has passed, it is ALWAYS only 11:20. How can this be? A) the lectures are boring, but that doesn't make them bad. What does make them unfavorable is the fact that the professor never checks to see how the class is responding to the information. On one hand I can count how many times technology has been incorporated by the teacher. Most days, attempts at writing main points on the board are tried, but by the end of class there is usually just a collection of 5 - 10 random words that have no special meaning to the lecture's content or main points. In all, looking at student's reactions to the subject content and adjusting their needs, along with the helpful incorporation of visual aids would be of great help to the success of this professor's lecture style.

Chemistry - The Forbidden Fruit

I love music. And history and language arts. I hate math, although I have always been quite good at it.  My nemesis, by far, is the sciences. I absolutely loathe them. For some unknown reason, I was compelled to take Chem 151 this fall - a course designed for science majors. What compelled me to do this, you may ask. It was appealing for one reason, and one reason only - it fulfilled both my lab and quantitative requirements.  Bad idea? I would most likely say yes.

The first day of class went as to be expected - blowing up some things, and lighting others on fire.  As much as I was dreading this class, I found that it wasn't as painful as I first thought. With a memory like a steel trap, many of the topics at the beginning of the year I had covered before, therefore it was a nice review. When it came to the new, and usually difficult topics, I prepared for the worst.

Something strange was starting to happen. I wasn't dreading this class as much anymore. Was I actually looking forward to chemistry? It couldn't be. When I took a look at why this was, it was really the teaching style of the professor.  The class was entirely lecture based, which was surprisingly effective.  Besides writing main points on the board as the lecture progressed, technology was always efficiently incorporated, whether through visuals of molecules or videos of specific reactions.  The professor always checked to make sure the class was following everything, asking if he needed to go over something again or give another example or two. One lucky days, we would even get to go outside and watch a pumpkin or pop bottle explode. This wasn't just an exciting add on, but then the rest of the lecture would be based off of the experiment. All examples of calculations and equations were then referenced back to the previous experience. In all, the practiced skill of efficient lecturing can be impacting in many ways, like making a certain someone not hate chemistry so much.

Intentiveness

There are countless things schools, and the teachers within them, can do to foster creativeness and imagination in a learning environment.  Although I am quite biased, I believe that encouraging the Fine Arts would be beneficial to all.  Whether it be Speech, Choir, Band, Orchestra, Drawing, Pottery, Drama or the like, these activities have the potential to encourage students to expand their mind.  This does not mean, however, that inspiration is guaranteed. It does allow an environment where creativity can flow. Often this is because there is not a "right" answer, where as some other classes may stifle creativity by saying there is one right answer, and only one way to get to that solution. Creativity is imperative to this day and age as many people have deemed it nonexistent anymore. We need to show children that we haven't discovered anything; that this is far from the truth. Ideas don't have to be recycled, but can be made new. Creativity, is therefore, important for those that want to get ahead in life - new ideas are extremely valuable. There are many other ways that imagination can be fostered in schools, and no matter by what means this is done, it is important that schools find ways for kids to utilize their creativity.

Reflection - Not Just a Song from Disney's Mulan

Genuine reflection is quite hard to come by.  It is difficult for the entire process of reflection to be successful, as it requires one to look at what their goals are, how far they have come to reach them, and if original standards have been met. There have been times, I hate to admit, when teachers have encouraged reflection assignments after projects that I have not been honest on.  I wrote what I thought they wanted to hear. For me, these assignments may be good for triggering ideas, but I think reflection is really an inner process. I internalize my goals and look back on what I have done constantly. It is not something you do once you have finished a project, but a continuing process that helps one in every aspect of life. This use of genuine reflection can cause great growth in the classroom when implemented correctly. It lays out personal guidelines for one to gain knowledge and grow. Although forcing students to fill out mindless worksheets would not be my way of encouraging reflection in the class, it is an integral part of the growth of both students and teachers.

Passion

A teacher's excitement about a subject plays a great role within a class's response to what they are learning. My favorite subject, aside from music, has by and large always been social studies. My history classes growing up were never boring nor did I ever struggle with relating to what we were learning about. I owe this to the teacher I had that instilled a passion for history in me. They didn't make this subject learning about a distant past, but about lives that are relatable and relevant to those we live out today. Had this enthusiasm and passion been lacking, I am quite positive I would not have enjoyed learning about dead people or memorizing dates and events anywhere near as much as I did. To me, it wasn't a simple memorization game, but the lasting influences and how events played out to effect how we live today.

On another note, I have never been especially keen on the science. No matter how passionate a teacher was about electrons, amino acids, or acceleration caused by gravity, I hated science. Although their passion may not have caused me to drop my flute and pick up a beaker, it did make heading to the lab a little less intimidating. Their love for science made it a little less hated in my eyes. If they could tolerate it, so could I, as their enthusiasm made this seemingly intolerable subject somewhat fun. Be it forcing a child to take a second look at a dreaded subject or encouraging a love for learning, a teacher's passion for their subject can have drastic influences upon their students.

Authenticity

I honestly don't believe that there are limits or boundaries when it comes to authenticity. Teachers address their students as real human beings. Why should they not be themselves around those they are teaching? I would much rather have an authentic teacher than a 'fake' one. I feel that people should be authentic when it comes to their personality. There may be a time when one is teaching about a subject they don't really care for, but they can feign interest for the benefit of the children. This is not being inauthentic, as it is not changing themselves as a person. Students can tell if you are not being real or genuine with them. They could care less if you are pretending to be interested in the Hundred Years War, as long as they know you care. When it comes to authenticity, I feel it should never be hidden or pushed to the side for learning's sake, but rather embraced and built off of.

Compassion

I was the model student in high school - straight A's, Concert Choir president, first chair flute, Homecoming court, had an irreplaceable group of friends, and active in countless clubs and Student Council. This may have reflected my Type A personality - or perfectionist. I have been sick most of my life, having a low functioning immune system disorder called hypogammaglobulnemia. I got quite sick again and was in the hospital for a while. Stress of college approaching and my favorite person in the world, my Papa, being diagnosed with cancer all started to add up. I asked "Why me?" Needless to say, a wave of extreme depression set in. During this same time period, my favorite teacher of my most beloved class, history, was going through troubles of her own. She was struggling in her attempts to have a child and her sister was battling MS. She showed me compassion and emoted resilience. If nothing could stop her, I would have the same mentality. She listened to my problems in an unbiased manner and still managed to be successful as a teacher, sister, and wife during this time. I still look to her as my mentor. Her teaching skills in the classroom were impeccable, but what I saw on a personal level is what I will always remember. Every break, I still drive out to her house for a cup of tea and a play date with her son, Jayden, whom she adopted from South Korea. She couldn't be happier now, and luckily, neither could I.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Find Out What it Means to Me

Respect - often given, demanded, lost, gained, and grappled for, but what is this thing that we all need a bit of? I feel that respect can make leaps and bounds in any relationship. This concept can be based off of many different ideals. It is hard to put my finger on just one of them.  Trust can be gained through respect. Mutual agreements can be made through respect. Showing admiration or tolerance for similar or differing ideals can be accomplished through respect.

The notion of respect - or regard - is imperative in a classroom. Teachers that instill strong levels of respect between themselves and students, and interaction between students, will run a much more efficient and a more well managed classroom than those that lack respect. At the beginning of the year, it is common for students to walk into the classroom with the idea that the teacher must earn their respect. Contrastingly, it is important for the teacher to hold some level of respect for each and every student at the beginning of the year, and must find a way to maintain respect so that the classroom functions effectively. I believe the famous Jackie Robinson sums up respect, not just in the classroom but on a global level, well with these words: "I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being."