9/7/2007: 14.18-mile biking, 50:35, 16.8 mph
9/8/2007: 5.2-mile run, 46:02, 8:52 pace
Today was my first day of seminary teaching. I had two students and we had a good time introducing ourselves and starting on the Old Testament. But that's not where the perspectives came from...
The student's perspective came after I finished teaching my Intro to Pol Sci class this morning. I had spent about 50 of the 75 minutes of class lecturing from a PowerPoint presentation. I then overheard a student (not mine) talking about how good this other instructor was. Why? She wrote all the notes and outline on the white-board and didn't use PowerPoint. The student loved that because she could keep up with the lecture and notes. As I reflected on the student's comments I came to realize that I am far more comfortable with my lousy writing and being able to move around the room than I am with a well-polished PowerPoint. I felt I had bored my students this morning with my lecture. So what do I do? I am going to bag the PowerPoint for now and go with what made me such a great teacher at UC Irvine - writing on the board, group activities and interacting with the students. I'll let you know how it goes.
The child's perspective is courtesy of my younger son. I was sitting at the breakfast table in my biking clothes, ready to get up and bike to work. I told the boys that we needed to say prayers so I could go to work. My younger son said, in an honestly 'I didn't hear you' tone, "where are you going?" I told him that I had to go to work. At that moment he gave me in my biker shorts and biking shirt a "That's nice dear" look that could have come from a mother who sees her teenager wearing five nose rings to go out with his/her friends, but forces a smile on her face to so as to not offend. Without using the tone of my voice it's painfully difficult to explain. Nevertheless, my wife and I had a difficult time containing our laughter. We both saw the look and got the message, though there is little I can do to improve my biking fashion.
Still learning and fixing,
Brad
3 comments:
I've experienced a variety of teaching methods in classes. I don't have a preference between methods, it is more a matter of how effectively they are employed. If your style is less structured and centers around scribbling on the board and more interaction, then go for it. My very favorite professor had that style.
Power Point is great, but you have to know how to utilize it well. I think a lot of technology has allowed teachers to cram more into a class than students can feasibly take notes on. This can be good and bad. I think its great to have graphics and charts to refer to without having to recreate them, but I also think professors now expect students to learn a lot more in one class than they used to, because they don't pause to let everyone write it down. More knowledge, but nasty writer's cramp to go along with it. That's why I switched to a laptop.
I think Becky's right, it depends on how you use it and what you're comfortable with. I like power point best when the teacher gives me a printout of the slides or some kind of outline that I can take notes on. (You remember the empire publishing books from the U?) That way I don't have to take the time to re-create the lecture and can highlight what seems important and add any insights. And it's easier for me to review later. But that's just because my handwriting is so bad I usually can't decipher my own notes.
Here's my perspective on the breakfast exchange:
Younger ds asked "where are you going?"
Reply, "To work."
'The look' was a once over that clearly said "In that??!!!"
It was very funny coming from a 4yo, esp. one who frequently chooses outfits that make him look like trailer trash.
I'm still laughing.
I have to agree with Becky. Teach in whatever manner makes you the most comfortable. The best teachers I have had all earned that declaration by proving that they were not only comfortable with the information they were providing, but were also comfortable with the fashion in which they were conveying the information.
I have to say, I can quite clearly imagine the scene in the breakfast exchange, and it is great. But I think the best part is the description of the son's usual attire, and then put into the scenario of the breakfast. Very funny stuff.
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