The students who would correct my English!

Hi new teachers out there,

During my teacher training, it had been ingrained into me that as a teacher, I had to know everything. It was a loss of face in front of the students if I did not know something, it was a shame. In one of my earlier schools outside India, as a special aide for a student, I used to sit in classes and had the chance to observe some of the greatest teachers. One teacher particularly left an impression on me. She used to ask students spellings when she was writing them on the board or she would write the word on the board and ask if the spelling was correct. She would tell them that she is not there because she knows everything, or that she can spell everything correctly. She was there because she knew how to teach. And students had utmost respect for her as she was a great teacher!

I have always used that in my classes. I would say at the beginning of the year that I am not there because I know everything. I am there because I know how to teach. Sometimes my mistakes would be honest, sometimes deliberate. Seeing that I make mistakes, it made it a lot easier for the learning challenged students or students with difficulties to raise their hands and answer questions, not worried that they could be wrong. Their teacher made mistakes and it created a safe space for them to make mistakes and not be judged. 

My students would gently correct my pronunciation errors and my spelling errors or any other errors, not losing any respect for me.

I also build confidence in my students about me. I tell them my teaching qualifications, that I am an assessment content developer, an examiner, that I go to schools on visits, that I have taught in schools outside India, that I have X number of years in teaching...any information that I think would build their confidence in me. This reassures them that they are in good hands. The spelling, pronunciation and other errors does not matter. 

Making yourself vulnerable in front of students has the following benefits:

1. Students will know that teachers are not 'perfect' who need to know everything. In my subject I&S, we have 10,000 plus years of History and a million current events...How will I know it all? A favourite line of mine if there are 20 students is " There are 20 of you. If each of you read five articles a day, in a week collectively, that is 100 articles. If I read 5 articles a day, that is only 25 articles. I cannot compete with you.

2. This will give students a safe space to make mistakes as well. And they will learn that they don't have to be perfect.

3. Making yourself vulnerable improves your relationship with your students. They will be able to relate to you better. This can also be done by sharing information about yourself, about your family or pets, or what you like and dislike.

4. There are some students who are academically inclined who make fun of others who make mistakes either openly or subtly. If the teachers themselves make mistakes and are willing to learn, then it becomes more difficult for these students to make fun of others. If I know of any unkind comments, I ask in class if students will also disrespect me if I don't know some information. Students say no, they will not. I remind them that their classmates deserve the same treatment.

My subject is I&S, so perhaps making spelling or pronunciation errors in English or saying that I cannot know all historical or current events, might work for me. But as a teacher, I need to be an expert in the subject specific skill that I deliver, be it investigation or evaluation or sources or essay writing to name a few. However, the teacher in my example given at the beginning, was an English and I&S teacher who stood in front of the class and told the students that spelling was not her forte and it did not make an iota of difference to her students who loved her for the great teacher that she was!! 

I can only think of how much I have learned from the teachers I worked with. Sir Isaac Newton wrote in a 1675 letter to fellow scientist Robert Hooke, "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants". Thanks to all the great teachers from whom I have learned to be the teacher I am today! 



Cheers!!

#myp,#newteachers,#teaching,#relationships,#students,#behaviour,#school,#ib,#learning,#leaders,#teacher-student relationships

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