I have been posting blogs on knowledgekeyz for over two months now. Through Google Analytics I know that people follow my blogs from all over the world. Among these people I'm privileged to have visit my blog, only very few follow me on knowlegekeyz and even fewer comment on my posts.
While I'm not primarily interested in quantity, I'd be glad to hear your thoughts on my posts.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
The but's of this job...
Each profession has its own 'but's' and mine as a teacher is no exception.
I thank God for my job. I must confess, though, that there are times I have wished for a job where I didn't have to go to a classroom. Mind you, some of these classrooms are many kilometres away from my office. Going from one class to another is sometimes so stressful that I just feel that I would prefer to work in an office where all I have to do is 'move' files all day. But then what's the guarantee that I would be okay with that?
Presently I'm marking my students' examination papers - nearly 200 papers and essay questions! And I'm thinking that marking scripts is the worst part of the job. I have conveniently forgotten the hectic teaching schedules, research, and student advising. Once again the thought sneaks in that an office - executive or administrative - job will be less demanding and probably even pay better.
I guess that's human nature. We always think the grass is greener on the other side of the field.
Knowledge has taught me that contentment is the answer to it all. It is written, "Godliness with contentment is great gain." So whenever, frustrating thoughts bordering on dissatisfaction knock on the door of my mind, I refuse to entertain them. Instead I begin to count my blessings and those earlier thoughts take their leave at once.
We should never feel satisfied with our present achievements; rather we should dream bigger dreams. But we must be content with what we have at present, knowing that our best is yet to come.
Blessings.
I thank God for my job. I must confess, though, that there are times I have wished for a job where I didn't have to go to a classroom. Mind you, some of these classrooms are many kilometres away from my office. Going from one class to another is sometimes so stressful that I just feel that I would prefer to work in an office where all I have to do is 'move' files all day. But then what's the guarantee that I would be okay with that?
Presently I'm marking my students' examination papers - nearly 200 papers and essay questions! And I'm thinking that marking scripts is the worst part of the job. I have conveniently forgotten the hectic teaching schedules, research, and student advising. Once again the thought sneaks in that an office - executive or administrative - job will be less demanding and probably even pay better.
I guess that's human nature. We always think the grass is greener on the other side of the field.
Knowledge has taught me that contentment is the answer to it all. It is written, "Godliness with contentment is great gain." So whenever, frustrating thoughts bordering on dissatisfaction knock on the door of my mind, I refuse to entertain them. Instead I begin to count my blessings and those earlier thoughts take their leave at once.
We should never feel satisfied with our present achievements; rather we should dream bigger dreams. But we must be content with what we have at present, knowing that our best is yet to come.
Blessings.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Gratitude...appreciation...so good!
As I came out of my first year undergraduate English class, I could barely hide my emotions. It was my last class with them for the semester. While the beginning of the semester gets me all excited, the end of semester leaves me with a feeling of nostalgia. But this time, the feeling of nostalgia ran deep and in the coming weeks you'll understand why. But back to the present....
Before I left the classroom, I had wished my students good luck with their examinations. Then a few students raised their hands to ask questions. I signalled to one to go ahead.
"Ma'am, we've enjoyed having you as our lecturer, we learned so much from you and hope you'll teach us again in the second semester."
It's a general EAP course and different lecturers taught different groups.
Before I could respond, there was a chorus of "Yes." The entire class seemed to be waiting with abated breath for my response.
I knew I had to say something. " I don't want to let the cat out of the bag...." This was greeted with sounds of disappointment since I wasn't giving them a straight answer.
Well, I got away without making any commitment but their appreciation of my hard work was most satisfying. When it comes to the evaluation of my teaching and personality, I consider my students' views very important. By showing appreciation, they just made my day.
What's the lesson here? You might say, "Must there be one? You teachers... always too analytical... seeing something where there's nothing."
Okay, we have microscopic eyes and in this case there's something to note.
Gratitude is like the sunshine on a cold winter day. Remember:
Before I left the classroom, I had wished my students good luck with their examinations. Then a few students raised their hands to ask questions. I signalled to one to go ahead.
"Ma'am, we've enjoyed having you as our lecturer, we learned so much from you and hope you'll teach us again in the second semester."
It's a general EAP course and different lecturers taught different groups.
Before I could respond, there was a chorus of "Yes." The entire class seemed to be waiting with abated breath for my response.
I knew I had to say something. " I don't want to let the cat out of the bag...." This was greeted with sounds of disappointment since I wasn't giving them a straight answer.
Well, I got away without making any commitment but their appreciation of my hard work was most satisfying. When it comes to the evaluation of my teaching and personality, I consider my students' views very important. By showing appreciation, they just made my day.
What's the lesson here? You might say, "Must there be one? You teachers... always too analytical... seeing something where there's nothing."
Okay, we have microscopic eyes and in this case there's something to note.
Gratitude is like the sunshine on a cold winter day. Remember:
- show gratitude always. There's so much to be thankful for. Take time to count your blessings and a feeling of gratitude will overwhelm you;
- be generous with compliment. It motivates the receiver to do more good deeds. Anyway, it does good to the sender and the receiver - it cheers both up;
- someone somewhere appreciates you and what you're doing. So keep up the good work!
- a selfless effort is never a waste;
- make someone's day with a word of appreciation!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Teacher and/or friend: where do you draw the line?
As a teacher, your primary duty to your students is to impart knowledge.Whether you employ traditional teacher-centered approach or the modern, more-effective learner-centered approach, your students see you first and foremost as a custodian of knowledge - an expert in the subject. Every good teacher explores ways to bring about positive learning outcomes.
As a teacher, there are professional ethics that dictate what is acceptable decorum regarding a more personal relationship between teacher and student. There is a line which must not be crossed. A teacher should show interest in the well-being - academic and psychological - of his/her students. But that interest should be shown to all the students equally. In other words, it would be wrong, in my opinion, for a teacher to choose to be "friends" with one or two students while relating very formally with the rest.
As a teacher, you need to show that you care; it is up to the students to individually decide if they want to be counselled at a personal level or not. It is not your call to make. You are not the school's official counsellor. This caution is even more significant in more conservative environments or cultures where 'prying' is considered unacceptable and offensive.
When I was teaching in a very conservative environment, my students mostly met me in the office for academic advice and I maintained rapport with them. Such that even senior colleagues and the Vice Chancellor often commended me based on reports from the students I had taught.
In my present job, my students are more open and would often come to my office discussing academic and family issues. I remember when last year, in one of my classes, I observed that a student who was usually active in class, was that day extremely quiet. In fact, she was late to class - which was unusual. But that trend continued the following week. After the class, I beckoned for her to walk with me. Outside the class, I asked if she was okay and gave my reasons for asking. She told me about some of the challenges her family at home was facing and how she was really worried. I sympathized with her. Then I told her that if she was going to allow the problems to negatively affect her performance at school, then she would be adding to the problems of her family. She said that she was frequently in touch with them and I encouraged her to keep that up in order to keep abreast of happenings at home. I reminded her that worrying will not solve the problem; rather it would create more problems. That is just one example of various kinds of personal counselling, most of which take place in my office. In every case, it's academic concern that leads to the discussion.
As a teacher, therefore, I would like my students to see me as their friend. Not because I have personal, intimate relationships with them but because they know that I care about them. In other words, they should read me as a teacher who is not only interested in their academics but also in their general well-being.
So, how clear is the line between being a teacher and being a friend to your students? I would say it is often as clear or defined as the students choose to draw. It's often blurred, don't you think?
As a teacher, there are professional ethics that dictate what is acceptable decorum regarding a more personal relationship between teacher and student. There is a line which must not be crossed. A teacher should show interest in the well-being - academic and psychological - of his/her students. But that interest should be shown to all the students equally. In other words, it would be wrong, in my opinion, for a teacher to choose to be "friends" with one or two students while relating very formally with the rest.
As a teacher, you need to show that you care; it is up to the students to individually decide if they want to be counselled at a personal level or not. It is not your call to make. You are not the school's official counsellor. This caution is even more significant in more conservative environments or cultures where 'prying' is considered unacceptable and offensive.
When I was teaching in a very conservative environment, my students mostly met me in the office for academic advice and I maintained rapport with them. Such that even senior colleagues and the Vice Chancellor often commended me based on reports from the students I had taught.
In my present job, my students are more open and would often come to my office discussing academic and family issues. I remember when last year, in one of my classes, I observed that a student who was usually active in class, was that day extremely quiet. In fact, she was late to class - which was unusual. But that trend continued the following week. After the class, I beckoned for her to walk with me. Outside the class, I asked if she was okay and gave my reasons for asking. She told me about some of the challenges her family at home was facing and how she was really worried. I sympathized with her. Then I told her that if she was going to allow the problems to negatively affect her performance at school, then she would be adding to the problems of her family. She said that she was frequently in touch with them and I encouraged her to keep that up in order to keep abreast of happenings at home. I reminded her that worrying will not solve the problem; rather it would create more problems. That is just one example of various kinds of personal counselling, most of which take place in my office. In every case, it's academic concern that leads to the discussion.
As a teacher, therefore, I would like my students to see me as their friend. Not because I have personal, intimate relationships with them but because they know that I care about them. In other words, they should read me as a teacher who is not only interested in their academics but also in their general well-being.
So, how clear is the line between being a teacher and being a friend to your students? I would say it is often as clear or defined as the students choose to draw. It's often blurred, don't you think?
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