41. Each student demands the best of you


Dwight,
"You know what?
The two first classes of the current summer program I'm running were a disaster with my class. I got disappointed.
One high-level student told me the class had been too simple - He expected more.
And I noticed Luis absolutely lost among a chitchat in English, unable to respond any question. Juan - I saw this kid with a disgusting face, because I scolded him in public, for he had been tardy, after the recess.
The second class was also a failure: I did not get the point of something significant for them.
I felt miserable.
All my marvelous schemes on teaching dropped deep."
Joe said, "Don't think your career is over, and you should do something different.
Address each student. Look at each one. Learn their names. Get concerned with each one.
It's not just a technique to touch the target. You work with persons. Flick apart your selfish objectives. Make them be the owners of their learning.
Get them aware of their short steps upward.
Praise the targets the advanced students got.
These latter ones were the potential disruptive students.
Make these advanced students feel they are learning something useful for life. As well, be realistic. Analyze the wrong point.
Don't think all was black.
They appreciate your trying to improve your classes.
Praise their hitting the target, what they do good. Talk with each one, about what he is in want of.
More and more you will beat it. If you see that giving them points for their right targets is childish, change on next day, don't do it any more.
Combine easy activities with higher-flying ones.
Ask them what they have learned last academic year.
You yourself, get aware of your effort, not the successes you have gotten or not. Good humor in the class, about your errors. Adapt to those real, not virtual persons. Keep what goes ok, and set aside what makes no sense with that particular class."

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