This morning I mentioned my good fortune having come to work and not having to teach. Why? We had a special guest come to our history classes who is somewhat of an expert in military history. In college I took a class focusing on this history of warfare and it was, by far, my favorite class. I was excited, but I had no idea how rewarding this would be.
The most important people in this discussion are the students, but they’ll be the people I talk about the least.They clearly got something out of the lecture. They got a peek into what a college style could would be like and some extra information on topics we’ve already discussed. Enrichment. The problem is that long lectures are still very taxing for them so you do see boredom creep over some of their faces, a little confusion, and in some of them, genuine wonderment. They are happy, but they don’t yet fully appreciate the lecture.
For me and the other teachers though, this was like being at rock concert. If we could have been standing up and cheering we would have. We got all the dad jokes. We sat in the back and snickered about different history facts and fictions. I myself had to stop from asking a million questions so that I wouldn’t get in the way of my students’ learning. It was fun. It was informative. It was a great break from running the show.
It helped me become a better teacher. Of course it just happened today, but I feel like it already did. I’m predicting the future a little. Watching someone truly passionate about their subject is inspiring. His depth of knowledge was impressive. I heard things that I hadn’t thought about since college and he pushed me to think more deeply about things I’d been pushing my students to think deeply about. Watching different styles mixes with your own to create something new, and hopefully more effective.
I’m thankful and I’m looking forward to his next visit.
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Feeling like a student again
The most important people in this discussion are the students, but they’ll be the people I talk about the least.They clearly got something out of the lecture. They got a peek into what a college style could would be like and some extra information on topics we’ve already discussed. Enrichment. The problem is that long lectures are still very taxing for them so you do see boredom creep over some of their faces, a little confusion, and in some of them, genuine wonderment. They are happy, but they don’t yet fully appreciate the lecture.
For me and the other teachers though, this was like being at rock concert. If we could have been standing up and cheering we would have. We got all the dad jokes. We sat in the back and snickered about different history facts and fictions. I myself had to stop from asking a million questions so that I wouldn’t get in the way of my students’ learning. It was fun. It was informative. It was a great break from running the show.
It helped me become a better teacher. Of course it just happened today, but I feel like it already did. I’m predicting the future a little. Watching someone truly passionate about their subject is inspiring. His depth of knowledge was impressive. I heard things that I hadn’t thought about since college and he pushed me to think more deeply about things I’d been pushing my students to think deeply about. Watching different styles mixes with your own to create something new, and hopefully more effective.
I’m thankful and I’m looking forward to his next visit.
Related Articles:
Feeling like a student again
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