3442. Making Our Students Think!


We teachers have to be careful: we may be too much over-focused on teaching strategies (this is, how to teach) and somehow forget to make our students think, ponder, reason, discern, meditate. 

I mean, of course we have for example to teach a second or foreign language but our students also have to learn how to think. 

As well we should teach them beauty – in a landscape, a poem, a piece of fine arts… – plus the fact that any person is unreachable and some mystery: any person is someone great. 

As well we should train our students at speaking in public, solving problems as a team, holding a nice conversation, explaining some concept… 

And before that, before all that, or at the same time, we teachers have to practice at thinking, reasoning, pondering, meditating… In few words: teaching is great and learning as well! We may be teaching our school subject, of course, but let’s remember to make our students think! / Photo from: commuter_reading

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

724. How d'you do?

Image
One day teacher of English A said to teacher of English B, “Lately I’m getting more aware of some of my students’ circumstances. I’m referring to kids that never advance or are attentive in the class. They can have problems with drugs or drink, sleep deficit, receiving bad treatment at home, or treating their parents bad. And there they are, with me for some hours a day. A teacher told me, on the other hand, that the family is the first factor that influences on these kids (!). She said some examples to show attitudes that can help, definitely. Look. Dad not only talks with the adolescent about the grades. There can be family meetings, like at dinner, when everyone can intervene and tell what he or she thinks. Dad and Mom listen to that kid, who is asking for being listened to, please! This teenager is eager Dad and Mom and his oldest brother would listen to his worries. He feels insecure about himself. Because of that he dresses that way, and shouts, like meaning here I am, I’m someon...
Read more

3698. Why do Those Students Participate More in Class?

  I’ve been teaching English for quite many years now, you know. Something I’ve noticed is the following fact. When you ask your dear students questions as prompts, and speaking is one crucial skill to practice in class, and out of class, you may note something specific. By the way, we English teachers do ask a lot in class. A friend of mine – a head teacher himself – once told me that we are all the time asking questions, you know, and he meant that half-jokingly. Well, some students answer those questions. Most students do answer those questions. But some of them add something else, from themselves, so they facilitate real communication in class, and they say more things about the same point. And others, with a lower level maybe, may answer with something short and that’s all.  I mean, all of them are in favor of lessons and the teacher, but you notice there’re some learners who try something else. Usually those latter students work on their own, more than the students who j...
Read more

3703. To Set High Standards in Class You Meant? How Can I Do That?

  I’m an English language teacher, as you well know. And you may be another language teacher. Even you may be learning English, like I am doing myself. Well, let’s suppose that that teacher ought to do his or her best for their dear students to learn that dear language.  That teacher ought to think how my students can learn best. And each lesson is – must be – a step forward as far as my students are learning English. How are they progressing, since I began to teach them? Do they already master English?  You know, you may rightfully tell me that it also depends – and much! – on them, and you are fully right – it’s them who have to learn, yet I can wonder how I can facilitate that process, that inner process, for each lesson needs to be a step forward.  What can I do for they really would learn English? You know, part of this job is transmitting and passing on the lure and the inner desire to learn English – the more enthusiasm you invest on the task, the more they wi...
Read more

3697. When Oliver Twist Asked for More ... What Happened? On Attending to Your Students

  A teacher? He or she influences on their students more with their lives than with what they teach to do. Whatsoever they do, well, that is so influential on those kids, or those adults too, if the case.  That is like an eternal truth, one of those that occur all the time. It was taken from college teacher Jutta Burggraf, who lived 1952 through 2010, and which teacher has influenced on so many people. She was like special in some way, you know.  Also something that may inspire your students is the way you teach, whether you really know about the school subject and the way that that ought to be taught.  Something essential too, and which professor Jaime Nubiola states: you must love your students. With benevolence love: by seeking what’s good for them. Also by hearing and listening to them.  If you are a terrific teacher and you do like in Oliver Twist, bad way you’re going. Yes, remember: Oliver Twist gently asked for more porridge, and then something tremendou...
Read more

3675. What I Do to Plan Lessons I Wish They Be Efficient?

  Lesson planning, you asked? You, like I do, may think that that is essential to teach efficient lessons. You may also be a second or foreign language teacher.  Today I’m telling you something of what I do, just in case it helps you out.  When I sit to plan a lesson, first I think about my dear students and what they do need, and perhaps also what they may be expecting. And then I specify a couple of aims and write them down at the beginning of the lesson plan, at the top.  Even sometimes I let my students – and I teach adults but the same may be applied to teenagers I guess – know what those two goals are – also for them to become more aware and more involved in the class. The more I get them involved in their own learning English, the more they will learn, sure thing!  So I first think how things are going on my lessons and try to solve those possible problems.  And the body of the lesson plan includes stuff where I have my students speak a lot, a lot, a...
Read more