September 2015

Not everyone can teach well. Many people believe that if you have the right credentials and mastery of subject, then you can teach others. I disagree, I believe that teaching is a skill and like any other skills if you practice it the right way , you get better at it. One may not start of well, but with appropriate training, knowledge about the teaching practices and opportunity to practice can make anyone a good teacher (including self awareness).

For the past year I have been teaching a class at VT and reflecting back on how I am in a classroom setting has given me a slight Idea of what kind of a teacher I am and ways in which I am changing. I have learned that listening is as important in the classroom as teaching. Actively listening to my students (within the classroom and outside) has allowed me to get informal feedback about what they are learning and what they are not learning. Professor Fowler’s- “Passion, Preparation, and Energy” really resonates with me as I continue to develop my presence in my classroom. Before I enter my classroom I always think of “choose your attitude”. One’s attitude has an impact on others and in a classroom setting I am always a role model (whether I agree or not)  and if my attitude is negative, towards what I am teaching, than subconsciously it will transfer to my audience.

Early last year I struggled with some of same questions that Sarah Deel posed (How do I create a professional relationship with my students? Can I maintain authority and treat students fairly while striving for them to like me? Where should the boundaries be? How do the students see me?…) I soon realized that it was not just about the students and the ways in which they viewed me as a teacher, but it was more about how I viewed myself as one. If I am comfortable with who I am as an individual then it is easier to not think about the rest.

Over the time I also realized that it is good to be flexible; flexible with the ways in which I teach, the content I hope to cover in a given class session and flexible in the ways that I evaluate each of my students. I have also realized that students have varying needs and some are more involved and invested than others. Therefore, I need to invest differently in each student based on their needs. I recognize that I am really good at building one on one relationships with individuals as opposed to large group settings. Therefore, each semester I have all of my students meet with me at least once a semester. This allows me to learn about them, their interests outside of the classroom and learn from them. As a result my students are more engaged in class and some stay after class to talk to me or discuss information further. In summary, my teaching style involves flexibility, actively listening, building relationships, remaining passionate, prepare in multiple ways and choosing my attitude.

Is there such a thing as a perfect classroom? I argue that there isn’t. Partly because the type of students’ attending colleges and universities is constantly changing and so are their needs.  College and universities are more diverse now than they have ever been. So I think one of the most important aspects in classrooms is to know your audience. Who is in the classrooms? What backgrounds, SES (socio economic status), experiences and exposures are the students’ in the classrooms bringing? And I am certain that each semester the classroom makeup looks different. So how is it ok to have the same content, teaching styles, lectures or materials, be taught each semester as if everyone in the room is the same, learns the same way and is bringing the same preparation to the classroom.

I believe that one way teachers/faculty can make classrooms inviting, engaging and learning environments is by remaining flexible, creative and open minded instead of coming into the classrooms with a prescriptive/ set curriculum. There is a difference between goals and learning outcomes for the classroom and pre set (class by class) lectures/ teaching methods by the teachers.  By understanding who is in the classroom, the teacher should co-develop classroom materials that best meets the needs of the students each semester. Some thing they should consider is: What if there are more student in a classroom with learning disabilities or students who are introverts and engaging in group work causes them additional anxiety/ stress and they cannot learn, what if there are students who don’t play games because that is not the best way they learn for them. So how can I (the teacher) develop a curriculum that meets the diverse needs of the students at least half way …if not all the way.

So Is there value in knowing your classroom audience? Is it possible to create classrooms that meets the needs of diverse students ?

Prior to starting my PhD work at VT, I worked full time at a private, elite four-year institution. One of my roles was to serve as an academic advisor. I met with freshman and sophomore students’ multiple times a semester until they declared their major (all undergraduate students except for “engineering track”-who come in to college undecided (no prescriptive classes, instead all must take diverse classes, and other requirements, until they declare a major in their second year (sophomore year)). If I could get a penny for every time I heard from the students that, “my undergraduate education is just a means to an end”, I would have several dollars by now. Anyway, what most of the students meant was that the way they view undergraduate education is that it is a stepping-stone for the next important thing that is waiting for them. For a majority of that student population it was: Medical school, Law school and or some other professional degree. Most of them were high achieving students and the way they experienced their classes, they way they engaged on campus (clubs and organization) and the people they networked with, all connected back to the question of “What do I need to do to get to that next step?”

From the beginning of their educational careers (high school or undergraduate), they have been trained (by family or teachers) to keep the end goal is mind, stay competitive, get the highest grades as you will be competing with other talented students (nationally and internationally) and find ways to give you an edge on others. That is not a terrible mentality, but what this process misses or lacks is the conscious involvement and imagination that Eric Liu and Scott Noppe-Brandon discuss. These students come in with too much focus on the next step, and not enough on the daily experiences. Some of these students miss out on all the other experiences that are thrown at them, or if they do engage it is not because they enjoy them but it is because these experiences will look good on the resume. For most of them college GPA is everything, because that number measures their success in college and their path to that end goal depends on how their grades reflect their intellectual capacity and if they will be able to get to that medical school or law school. This tunnel vision and competitive mentality forces them to see each class, each lecture and each experience as “get it done well now and you will never have to think of it again”.

This raises the question of – How do you engage students in classes and challenge them to learn for the sake of learning and not just for a high GPA that will get them in to the next step?

Learning the basics is important but the bigger questions is what basics are we talking about? Learning the basics is necessary when we are learning certain subjects (may be math and chemistry or a certain language). I don’t believe that this rule applies universally to everything. It is not a simple black and white concept in my mind. It is not an all or nothing approach. It really depends on what one is learning. It is crucial to first agree on the definition of what learning means. Some people consider learning just happening in formal institutions (K-12, college, graduate school), in my opinion, learning can happen at any time and anywhere as long as one is willing and ready to engage with something new that they are interested in (or it is needed). Learning can be skills (like communication and listening and there are no pre-defined basics or methods that one needs to follow). There are appropriate ways of learning but it is not a one size fits all concept. The simplification of learning the basics takes away from the learning process and imposes that if one does not follow a certain path to learning, then some how the learner is deficient or so how the learner is missing out on pertinent information. The bigger question for me is what is the end goal? where is one trying to go with the learning and what is to be achieved or accomplished? Who is responsible for learning?

Langer poses the question if text books inform mindful learning? I agree with her that textbooks help in ones learning process and the way one writes these books can impact the ways in which people learn, but I believe there is more to textbooks. Books are written by those who are some sort of experts in their fields and believe that the information provided is what one needs to know about a given subject. I believe that just because you have the knowledge (credentials, some expertise about a topic, issue or subject) does not automatically mean that you are a good teacher. Similarly, just because the experts write the books in the way they learn, communicate in the form of textbooks does not necessarily mean that these books can teach an individual everything they need to learn. Textbooks are a starting point for learning, they are not the end, especially now with the information one can find on the web about any subject, text books are just a way to start the thinking process, they cannot and should not be the only way one engages with the materials presented. Additionally, textbooks are important for learning but it is equally important to know why one is engaging with the textbooks, what are the motivations, intentions and needs one is trying to fulfil with utilizing textbooks? It also means that teachers need intentionality on their part to find creative ways to engage the students in the learning process other than textbooks (mindful teaching is equally important).

This is the first blog I have ever written (I hope I am using the right term…and I must admit, I am slightly intimidated by the process, I do hope it gets easier with time). In reality I have had limited experiences with blogging. In some ways I have been making assumptions that blogging is just journaling but in a public forum. That is one reason why I have been so skeptical about blogs, but with that said I am up for the challenge for trying some thing new and different and that’s what learning is all about anyway.

So here is what I have gathered from the readings/ video from this week: Blogs are not as scary as you think. There is a good reason why so many people across the globe are doing it. Blogging like other social media avenues (when done in appropriate ways) connects you with other people globally. If you are intentional, you will get better at it over time (YES! There is hope), you don’t have to be afraid to have an opinion, in fact it will help you to find your voice as long as you stay open-mined, be intentional, be an active listener (How blogs changed everything) and learn to communicate through your writing (not just verbally). Additionally, it is important to know that many people (including myself) have favored ways of thinking, we continue to do what we have always done but it is never too late to try new ways to engage with others. Lastly, I understand that in academia, blogging is allowing students to be creative with their thinking and their writing and it is opening up new ways to  communicate ideas and concepts.