Tags
Bill Bryson, class discussion, direct instruction, humor, lecture, student participation, student-centered classroom, teaching
When I think about physical signs that indicate how well a lesson is going, it’s clear that I made mistakes today. My first great flop! I guess it was bound to happen, and I’m sure I will flop again, but I never anticipated feeling so awful about it all, like the students missed an opportunity to learn so much more than they did.
The 2M students are reading a collection of essays by Bill Bryson called Notes from a Big Country. Bryson was born in Iowa, but moved to England in his twenties, and this collection comes from a series of columns he wrote upon returning to the States in the 1990s. He’s pretty critical in most of them, but his writing also involves a good deal of humor, which is what Isabelle wanted me to focus on today, something she informed me of about two hours before the lesson was to begin. Now, a lack of preparation was probably a factor—I needed to know about more than just satire, irony, and hyperbole for a fifty minute lesson—but I think my flop had more to do with a difference in expectations. That and my sudden inability to spell “exaggeration.”
The students had read “Why No one Walks” for homework, a piece describing the relatively extreme pedantic nature of Americans, and one that employs a fair share of hyperbole, irony, and the other assorted terms I had only recently learned. My plan was to ask the students what they thought about the piece, initiating a discussion that would last for a few minutes before asking them to pick specific lines they had found funny, at which point I would proceed to write the appropriate terms on the board. My grand plan continued, then, to introducing additional types of humor—ones that weren’t used in “Why No one Walks,” but were in other essays in the collection. I imagined writing words on the board and students helping me out with definitions, working together to find an appropriate definition that built upon their prior knowledge. At this point, I would introduce their homework and, if we had extra time, we’d start on it together.
What happened was the initial “discussion” turned into a quick three-sentence summary of the essay by one student and the rest of the class nodding in agreement. What happened was two or three students pitied me and contributed two or three “funny” lines, at which point I introduced the appropriate terms, attempted to spell “exaggeration” by starting off e-g-a and then forgetting the second “g” once I had the beginning nailed down. What happened was me talking most of the class time, rambling on about different types of humor and not knowing how much of what I said was understood, and then reading out loud the entire essay they were assigned for homework before doing half of the work in class together because we had so much extra time.
What happened was my first big flop, but what I learned is that a student-centered classroom is not typical for these students. I’ve observed classes before, and I’ve seen how Isabelle does most of the talking, calling on a random student to answer questions periodically, but I didn’t realize until today how prominent this model was for these students. I’m not saying I didn’t flop—even taking this into consideration, I know that I rambled and repeated myself and failed to do the subject justice, never mind the fact that I read an entire essay out loud, going against pretty much everything Dr. Frager ever taught me—but I now know that I’m going to have to model any sort of discussion I want to have in the future and adjust my expectations so that I can provide the proper support.
After class ended, Isabelle’s comment was, “Well, you handled that topic much better than I would have.” When I voiced my concerns about participation, she just said, “Well, this class isn’t one that talks a lot, but they do think a lot.” Part of that was an attempt to comfort me, I think, but her statements also speak to the importance of knowing your students. I’ll have to work on that—and my spelling skills, apparently.
barefoot_med_student said:
I’m not a teacher, but it was a profession I seriously considered. I never thought of the pressure not to make spelling mistakes! My spelling is also generally good, but I do make silly mistakes sometimes. I am sure you did just fine 🙂
mdinch said:
Thanks for the vote of confidence. =)
Karen said:
What an excellent book choice, though. I read it many years ago, and I still remember the exact chapter you’re talking about. If I recall correctly, he was saying how he once drove to visit his next-door neighbour.
mdinch said:
That’s the one! It’s an interesting (and entertaining) read. For these students, (who are from Luxembourg), it’s also a chance for them to learn about American culture. Can’t take the credit for the book choice (that was my cooperating teacher, Isabelle), but I do approve!
casualloop said:
Hey found this very insightful, I’m currently studying to be a teacher and appreciate your side of things
mdinch said:
Thanks! This is my student teaching, and I’m definitely learning a lot! Can’t wait to have classes of my own. =)
juffiegelukkigonderweg said:
I once read ” you need to be able to educate your readers without them knowing it and win their sympathy while seeming not to care what they think”.
Well, you did all of the above and make me laugh as well!
Especially the “Well, this class isn’t one that talks a lot, but they do think a lot” as an answer to your concern about participation
mdinch said:
Thanks so much!
littlecitybot said:
i respect your ability to handle that situation….i had a lot of teachers ni high school who, if we didn’t share our answers, would sit at the front of the class in silence until we participated. i think that’s pretty passive aggressive and it definitely didn’t help us learn because we spent half the class just sitting there. as a student, i’m VERY quiet in terms of participation – public speaking makes me nauseous and i just can’t bring myself to raise my hand even if i know the answer beyond a shadow of a doubt. that doesn’t, however, mean that i’m not listening, not paying attention, haven’t done the readings, not thinking etc, so it definitely helps to know your audience, like you mentioned. when i was in school, i found that group discussion was really helpful because i was less nervous to share my answers, then when the time came to present what you had been discussing, the non-shy member would be the one to talk 🙂 maybe that will help for your class?
anyway great read, thanks for sharing! x
mdinch said:
Group work is a great idea! We actually did groups in a different class today and it worked really well, so I think I’ll try it next time I work with these students. Thanks for your input, and for reading!
sportsandthecross said:
Wonderful post, thanks for sharing! Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!
atique007 said:
Brilliant post! Still I fell deep down my heart all those days I passed as a teacher just after completing my Masters. I can feel the way you felt bringing your lecture down to microscope.
mdinch said:
Glad you were able to relate to it!
Lynds said:
Everyone has lessons flop once in awhile…it just means you are going in there everyday with high expectations..your students couldnt ask for more!
mdinch said:
Thanks!
marymtf said:
It seems to me that you prepared for the lesson before Isabelle threw you that curve. Flops might still happen as you go along, but you’ll be more experienced. That last counts for a lot. Don’t be dispirited. You’re meant to learn from flops. You’ve already learned that it’s important to know your students. And when you’re more seasoned you’ll be able to laugh the occasional spelling mistakes off.But I’m guessing that the reason for it this time was stress. You had the students and the cooperating teacher watcfhing you (and you probably felt they were judging you too) PS, I’ve never heard the term cooperating teacher, are you a student teacher?
mdinch said:
I am! I’m student teaching in a public school in Luxembourg, so that provides a few additional challenges, but I’m definitely still able to laugh. Thanks for reading!
travelingange said:
Very reflective piece. I am also a teacher and love Bill Bryson’s stuff. It’s difficult to stop yourself from rambling in an uncomfortable silence. Don’t kick yourself to hard, friend. We’ve all been there!
mdinch said:
Thanks for the support!
Amy E said:
Humor is a hard topic to teach. This happened when I was in school. We were supposed to read Candide and it’s just not funny. I get it, but I hated it and so did everyone else except for the teacher.
Expressions by VAL said:
Teaching is such a huge responsibility. Kudos to all teachers out there and to you for sharing the ups and downs on your blog.
Ciara said:
Sometimes you’ll plan a lesson thinking students will be chatty and it turns out to be the sort of day where everyone clams up. I always found it hard not to take it personally! Humour is a hard thing to teach – especially if your students are too cool for jokes, which mine often have been – I think it sounds like you did just fine,
mdinch said:
Thanks! I’m still working on getting to know them, but I try not to take anything too personally. =)
Alicia S. said:
As a new homeschooler to my middle school daughter, I appreciate the honesty. Being at the feisty age of twelve, you better believe she’s quick to point out if it ever looks like there might be reason to question my expertise, lol. I can imagine the pressure for a teacher in a classroom full of 20-30 students.
xiaohui said:
I’m a beginning teacher in Singapore and it is definitely nice to know that we all face similar little struggles (and thought processes) all over the world! It is very refreshing to read about your experiences so honestly and openly. 🙂
Jeremy Truitt said:
What a great post. Thanks for sharing!
jaclynmariet said:
I just found your blog on “Freshly Pressed” this morning. I am now a third year teacher (I teach music), but your student teaching experiences still resonate with me! There’s nothing quite like standing up in front of a class and suddenly being at a loss because things aren’t going at all like you thought they would. Believe me, that still happens even now…it’s just easier to figure out how to handle it now! Of course, as a music teacher, sometimes, when nothing else is working, you just say, “Ok, class, now we’re going to sing this song!”
mdinch said:
Good to know that it gets easier with experience! Thanks for reading. =)
hilaryjohnstonmusic said:
Reblogged this on hilaryjohnstonmusic.
ditchthebun said:
I’m a Librarian in an Academic Library and we teach a lot of classes around researching, information literacy, etc. Every class is really different and sometimes we don’t meet people from the class until we walk in, so we prepare for these classes pretty much blind. Especially with bridging classes for International students this can be a challenge, because you are never sure of the language level before you get in there. In my experience they pretty much ignore what you are saying and try to copy what you are showing them on the computer (via a projector) – they take in very little about the purpose of what you are doing sometimes. Even attempting to copy you when you say don’t do this just watch. I have had some flops in those classes before 🙂
You get used to it, learn from it and do better next time. You don’t always take it in your stride, but learn to accept it.
mdinch said:
I’ve definitely been learning about the importance of visuals! Thanks for reading. =)
Judy Dincher said:
Sounds like you learned a great deal from this “flop”. Great experience. Grandma
zedjaw77 said:
Reblogged this on it's about writing.