Teaching

[futurecatlady]

I wish I could teach. I don't mean teach well, just the basic ability to show other people how to do something. I go over and over in my head how I would explain something, but when I try to actually do it I fail miserably.

There are some things that I am experienced at, so people assume that because I am good at it, I can automatically teach it. So being a good sport, I try. And it's so embarrassing, being in front of a crowd of people who expect you to know what you're doing, who expect you to enlighten them, and just losing it. My social anxiety comes flooding full force, and I get lost, confused, disoriented. I lose track of what I'm trying to teach, what I'm trying to say. My voice cracks and my legs feel like jello. And I just can't stop thinking of all the crappy teachers I've had, the way we talked about them, the exasperated looks we gave each other, and I see the same looks on my students. I can see them leave, one by one, as they realize the class is pointless. I can feel the burn of their silent judgment and frustration.

I wish, so badly, that I could help someone else. Tutor a disadvantaged child, teach a newbie how to dance, introduce someone to the wonders of art. But I can't do any of those things. I just make a huge mess of everything, and I wish I didn't. I'm so jealous of people who have the confidence and ability to teach. It's a selfless, wonderful thing, and I just can't freaking do it.

 

[Badjedidude]

^^^You're right about this.

Many people think that teaching is a KNOWLEDGE skill... but it's not. Teaching is a PEOPLE skill. You can know everything about World War II or small engine repair, but if you don't have the social skills to pass that knowledge on, then... well, you're on your own.

Teaching is about managing people. It's about reading people, about seeing how much they understand while you're speaking to them, and being able to effectively gauge your speed of explanation and presentation based on what you see. It's about being able to self-reflect and continually evaluate your approach in explaining things to others.

When you get on to more complicated teaching, it's basically about being able to read people to the point where you can simply glance at them and see if they're understanding the concept you're presenting or not... even if they lie about it. There are other things used to gauge understanding, of course... homework and such. But most of it is done by observation.

Honestly, if you just want to practice teaching or learning to explain things to others, you could start with SMALL, SMALL, SMALL things.

Teach a child how to dial 9-1-1.

Teach a friend how to make a sandwich.

Explain to someone how to fill up their gas tank.

Little things like this sound stupid, but really... it's a good way to practice divulging information to others and watching their responses to what you're saying. This also helps you build confidence in presenting material to others... learning to speak publicly, in other words.

I hope some of that helped. *hug*

 

[cheaptrickfan]

What BJD said was spot on. Those later suggestions about starting small are a good place to start. You can do it!

I'd also like to add that in addition to the necessary people skills, it is a real talent to take a bunch of complicated information, reformulate it and then express it in an understandable manner.

I've had any number of personable professors who were brilliant in their fields, but they could not explain the material in a way so that everyone could get it. They assumed that the students had a lot of the same underlying information background necessary. Now I am not saying that you have to treat everyone like a blank slate, but you can't assume that everyone always has the same general understanding.

When I was teaching English overseas, many companies would hire native-English speakers assuming that since they were fluent in the language, they would make perfect teachers. Many of them did not know that English has irregular verbs, a conditional tense, a subjunctive mood or what the hell a phrasal verb was, to say nothing of the horror show that is there/their/they're and anything that includes an apostrophe.

Just because someone ostensibly knows a subject, it does not logically follow that they have thought about the subject in various ways so that they can break it down into comprehensible chunks.

That said, teaching can be very rewarding. I love it. I was born to be a teacher, and I don't mean disciplinarian, either. I enjoy seeing that lightbulb moment with a student and know that, at least for that moment, I made a positive difference.

 

[bens]

Yeah I agree with all that. I might post in a bit cos I'm struggling with it TEFL at the moment.

 

[Nina]

I agree with all that bjd and ctf has stated and can only add that it helps if you really care about the folks you're teaching and if you love or at least appreciate and see the need for what your sharing with a class or person. If you focus on the fact, that the folks in your class really need and want the info your sharing, it helps tremendously. Share stories and personal flubs on occasion with a class, It makes you human and more approachable, once you're in the setting. It also helps to keep in mind that we all learn from each other. You'll learn as much from students as they learn from you. If you can take that single grain of wisdom into classes it makes the whole experience more personal for you, in a more centered way. It's nice when you can see what YOU can take away from the situation as well. ALL teachers stumble in the beginning. It's nothing to fear or be ashamed of. It's just us being human. Keep in mind, teachers only share information and create an environment where learning can happen.

 

[cheaptrickfan]

Share stories and personal flubs on occasion with a class, It makes you human and more approachable, once you're in the setting. It also helps to keep in mind that we all learn from each other.

That's all about building a rapport. Very important.

You'll learn as much from students as they learn from you. If you can take that single grain of wisdom into classes it makes the whole experience more personal for you, in a more centered way. It's nice when you can see what YOU can take away from the situation as well.

As cheesy as it may sound, learning is a two-way street.

 

[Nina]

ctf--I have learned so much about human nature and life in general from the young folks who sat in my classes...I may have had the goods on the subject matter but so many of those young minds taught ME about life seen from perspectives, very diverse from my own. Teaching can really widen your own life-visions. Cheesy sounding, it is, but oh so true...

 

[Badjedidude]

I forget who said this quote, but I've always remembered it, because it's TRUE:

"The best quality that the greatest teachers have is a passion for learning."

If you want to teach, you must learn. Not only about your subject matter, but about those you teach.

 

[kevinmartin1988]

The course refers to the actions an instructor in the flesh-learning systems to provide modern education student.In on appeal to the world of formal education, which takes place during puberty. It can take different forms in each class of formal and independent learning and e-learning.

 

[EveWasFramed]

Enjoy that one post you made, Kevin - it was your last.

 

[evanescencefan91]

wow I missed a lot of spam hunting whilst I was gone today