3582. The Teacher as an Orchestra Conductor?

 Does the teacher have to give contents and knowledge to his or her students? Or otherwise he or she has to foster their students look for those contents and knowledge? Both. 

However, that teacher has to give that information, those ideas, concepts, data, notions. They have to give contents and knowledge. 

But their students will not be passive. It’s not like a half-robot which gives a lecture to an audience and that’s it. No. In the classroom, both face-to-face and remote, there will be a nice conversation, where the students may ask and comment on some points, with order and agreement. 

The students are active in that classroom. 

I teach English, as you must know. English as a foreign language, or English as a second language, and this latter case more and more in Spain, for more and more people speak English. 

Now I teach online. 

And I try to get a lot of conversation arise. I ask my dear students. Sometimes namely or nominatim, and many times I address such and such learners. They are the protagonists. Well, also the teacher is a protagonist in this movie. 

Something interesting: I, as their teacher, have to feel how they are along the classroom. And avoid asking such or such questions. And noticing whether at certain moment someone or most of them may be lost. 

It’s like an orchestra conductor, the teacher I mean. I have to conduct and direct the different musicians for each of them to give the right note at the right moment. 

It’s nice. It’s all an art. An art you learn class after class, day after day, year after year. It’s so nice, tiresome and strength-draining though. 

Some of the ideas for this post were borrowed from Spanish philosopher, teacher and pedagogue Gregorio Luri. Have a nice week.