Teaching seems enjoyable to outsiders since we are in contact with young people a lot or because of the holidays we get . As regards the holidays, I think we need them so as to erase the “hard disk” and forget all the horrible experiences we have had during the previous weeks. Concerning the fact that we work with young people, sometimes they can be so annoying that their age seems more of a problem than an asset.
I teach six classes this year; three of which are quite hard to work with. What I really can’t stand at the moment is students who can’t be bothered and make no efforts whatsoever to hide it. The three difficult classes are full of this kind of kids. They talk together as if that’s what they had come to the class for. When I tell them off, they stop for about one minute and and then resume their conversations as if nothing had happened.
My colleagues tell me that they experience the same problem with their own classes; which makes me wonder what we can do to change things.
Textbooks have never been so atractive, we have never spent so much time online working on one project or another, we try to keep up with what is going on in the outside world without being over demagogic.
Then, what is wrong?
10 Comments
November 12, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Teenagers are hard. Would putting on a play, making posters, throwing a ball around, setting up words to music, digging in the dirt help at all? Addressing some non-academic piece of their brains?
The teachers my boys have that are most successful sometimes act like little boys themselves. (I’m thinking of the enthusiastic rabbis they have as teachers).
Good luck.
November 12, 2008 at 8:53 pm
I’ve taught college students who acted this way. I had to separate the “talkers” so they weren’t anywhere near eachother. It wasn’t fun to do this with such big “kids”, but I got tired of telling them to stop whispering and giggling every 5 minutes. And it worked!
November 12, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Leora: Thanks for your suggestions; I like the ‘play’ idea best. The problem with one of the classes I have in mind is that they have an exam at the end of the year and I am supposed to get them ready for it.
RR: I suppose I’ll have to separarate more talkers as I have done that already. Sigh!
November 12, 2008 at 9:08 pm
I agree with Leora and RR. There is also the option of having THEM teach the class by preparing presentations on subjects that you want the class to know. Telling them in advance what basics you want covered and letting them figure out how to present them might foster a little creativity on their part and get them to think about how challenging YOUR job is. It’s a gamble, but one you might be frustrated enough to take.
Daily quizzes may keep them focused on the material too. Or dividing them into teams and harnessing their natural competitive spirit (with a few opportunities daily to score points for their team) and an attractive prize for the winning team.
But above all, remember that they are teenagers and for many of them, school is just not where their heads are. Appreciate the ones who love what you teach, but don’t kick yourself when others don’t care. It’s usually not personal; it’s just who they are. For a dedicated teacher, that can be a cruel reality to accept, but it’s important to save your sanity and your self-respect.
November 12, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Teaching is draining. I used to find it very difficult to hear the hospital staff comment on how “we have so many vacations…” Eventually I came to understand that they were venting their own frustration, but my staff and I should enjoy our well-earned holiday time with pride, and take every advantage of it, so we can come back to work with a refreshed sense of enthusiasm for the job. Easier said than done….
November 12, 2008 at 9:11 pm
P.S. I love the idea of peer-to-peer teaching. I believe it fosters enthusiasm and a sense of empathy and appreciation for those in the teaching profession. It also inspires curiosity and self-motivation, two qualities which will help your students as they continue to develop and join the “real world” out there, one day, as adults.
November 12, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Shimshonit and A Living Nadneyda: The idea of peer-to-peer teaching sounds great but might not be easy in a foreign language. I’ll have to think about it. I like the idea of quizzes.
I wish some students had more curiosity and self-motivation!
November 13, 2008 at 7:30 am
I stopped teaching, and I’m shocked at how little I miss it.
November 13, 2008 at 7:44 am
You got some good ideas. Let them take turns making a game or exercise to review the material. We all appreciate what you and every other teacher does. It’s often a thankless job.
November 17, 2008 at 7:23 am
First of all, there will always be those classes that you don’t ‘click’ with. There’s not much you can do about it, at least you shouldn’t blame yourself.
Secondly, I believe we have gone too far with making textbooks attractive and we are overestimating the role of the internet. We are currently teaching a generation of children that only knows how to access Google, and doesn’t (always) assess the value of knowledge and facts. From what I see, most students really enjoy a good old fashioned lesson in which the teacher is telling stories and taking notes. They are being attacked my outside stimuli all day, whether it’s MSN, their Ipod, their mobile phone, etc. etc. The classroom should be a safe haven without all these gadgets, I believe.
Thirdly, there are definately tricks and activities you can use to grab your students’ attention. E.g. I have been teaching the concept of Jewish identity through teaching about the why’s and how’s of Facebook. I try to practice for upcoming exams by doing pictionary or other games that allow my students to get up, walk, and use drawing and acting skills. I try to do group work every now and then to let them talk during class and to let them practice their cooperation and presentation skills. Good luck!