I have learnt three very important facts this week, and they are related to the statements/questions:
- “Think about”
- “I would correct my mistakes”
- “So, you want to be a teacher?”
When I walked out of the lecture theatre on Monday, the words that were ringing in my mind were Dr. Howard Nicholas’ “THINK ABOUT”. The emphatic tone that he used when he said those words, made me realise that there are a lot more questions that I need to ask myself so as to improve my skills as a teacher.
Not only did Dr. Nicholas ask us to think about our students and the schools that we will be working in but also he asked us to think about our role as teachers. How prepared am I to take on the responsibility of laying the foundation for future learning in the minds of children who are not only eager to learn in a creative manner but also very impressionable and vulnerable - emotionally and mentally?
This is a role that I cannot take in a flippant manner. It involves constant self-monitoring and constant raising of the bar for myself. Like Jaime Escalante said, “Every year I would correct my mistakes.” His statement reminded me of what my Assistant Manager said when I was working as a Corporate Communications Trainer, “You stop growing when you stop listening to feedback”.
The learning or rather the gaining of knowledge never stops. I would once again have to refer to last week’s learning. If I have to prepare my students for a future that I’m unaware of, then I’ll have to constantly learn and improve myself. There’s no room for mediocrity of teaching nor is there room for ‘taking a break’ from learning for me.
Listening to “Poison Berries” by Penny Ikinger made me realise that we do live in a world where we have lost the optimism and romanticism of the past. But the pessimism and realism of the words, “You’d be better off dead” can be changed if I as a teacher work on realising and improving myself in my areas of concern.
During the workshop discussion, I listened to my colleagues talk about their experiences working in schools in Australia. It was very thought-provoking and I was glad that I got an opportunity to listen to them. Their statements helped me to understand what I needed to do so as to answer the question that was raised in my mind by Dr. Howard Nicholas and the workshop’s questions.
Am I sure that I want to be a trainer? Oh, yes! I would love to work with adults who are attempting to re-start their lives and their careers by improving their communication skills in English. This week’s session and discussion has only helped to re-enforce this thought in my mind.
