From: Peter.Macinnis@p0.f508.n711.z3.fidonet.org (Peter Macinnis)
Newsgroups: k12.chat.teacher
Subject: WANTED: Words of Wisdom
Date: Mon, 05 Oct 92 20:50:00 PST
Organization: FidoNet node 3:711/508.0 - The Bay, Neutral Bay NSW

AEC>year student in the education school at U.Va.  First of all, I
AEC>hope that I'm not breaking any unwritten code that says
AEC>non-teachers cannot post articles in this newgroup!  Actually,
I hope so too -- I'm an educator but not a teacher, at least not in the
normal classroom sense, but I was once, and I went back and did it again
recently.

AEC>Here's where you come in (PLEASE).  Let me know how you handled
AEC>your first year as a teacher.  If there were only one thing I
It was absolute fear at first, when I began in 1970, but I realised that
I had one big advantage over them -- a class of between 40 and 57 boys,
all selected for their brightness -- I knew me, and they didn't.  So I
bluffed.  I mentioned casually "at my last school . . .", and "last time
I taught this . . ."

At the same time, I was biology trained and teaching chemistry and
physics.  So I levelled with them.  "I'm really good in these areas", I
said, "and so I may talk above your level, so feel free to pull me up.
On the other hand, I'm not all that good at chemistry and physics, so I
reserve the right to delay answering a question for 24 hours if I'm
personally confused."

Having said that, I then tried to make sure that I was ahead of them, so
that I didn't have to call for a 24-hour break too often.  In my first
year of teaching, I learned more science than I had learned in my
undergraduate years.  I kept intellectually honest, I showed them (when
I could) why we learned the things we did.

Recently, after years out of the classroom, I went back for a short
while, mainly to show myself that I could still handle managing a class.
The classes were smaller, but now I was mainly teaching maths and
computing (MACs!!!  AAGH!!  and me a dyed in the wool DOS person!).
Once again, I stayed one step ahead, and tried to make sure that we did
more than just chalk and talk.  Only once was I caught -- when I was
asked why we had to do the binomial theorem.  I asked my mathematically
qualified teachers why, and they could offer no reason.  That was
totally frsutrating for me.

Don't worry about the fear.  You will overcome it.  Don't worry about
the kids -- you will win them over.  If they are allowed to seat
themselves in the classroom, the troublesome ones will be at the back.
Give them out a short questionnaire, with their name at the top.  Walk
around, looking over their shoulders as they fill it in, note down two
or three names of those at the back.  Before the end of the lesson,
address questions to one or two of them by name.  If you know the names
of those at the back, the others will reason, then you must know theirs
as well.

Most importantly, remember that there will be dead wood on the
established staff who will blunt your enthusiasm with their cynicism,
but that there are wise heads who will try to save you from making their
mistakes all over again.  Only you can judge which type is which.

If there is one word to describe what you have to project as a teacher,
it is passion.  Passion for your subject, for knowledge and learning in
general, passion for intellectual exchange and intellectual growth.

Enjoy!
peter

 # SLMR 2.1 # Nobody in history ever made up a joke about Hegel.



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