Similarly, the text we read in the Intro to Teaching class from Peter Hawkes further elaborated scaffolding. He explains, one must really learn what steps students must take to be able to arrive at the same questions that great scholarly literary critics come across. Once they have reached that level, they will be able to think at the same level as you. We just started reading more fictional literature in my class at Hostos and have just begun teaching analysis of texts. In this case, I realized that I in particular, don't seem to have the necessary patience to break things down in the simplest way depending on each students' background knowledge to be able to understand the text and then move on to criticizing and analyzing it.
In this case, I really just sat back and tried to see how my lead teacher handled the situation and tried to absorb all of her techniques but also think of the theories I've read thus far to see if I can somehow connect it to this situation in particular or not. As a learner, one must take the first step first and then move on to the second and third. Likewise, as a teacher, one may begin with just "assisting" a teacher and help in any possible way and then believe that he/she can move on to the next step.
Oh Mahla! I have compassion for you! There are so many times when I experience this too. As a teacher, it's so difficult to explain things to another person and expect them to get it the way that you want them to. And then, working in this urban environment, where so many people come from different backgrounds and have different experiences, it makes things more difficult. However, I think that their is a beauty in this too. With all these different backgrounds and experiences, comes new visions and interpretations that you would otherwise never get.
ReplyDeleteMah, this question is a part of my teaching inquiry. Is it my job to make the students understand or is it my job to find questions that lead to understanding. Which questions? Which vocabulary to use for the questions? We live in one of the most racially and ethnically diverse cities on the planet. Which references are relevant to which students? These questions make me feel very insecure as a new teacher but on the other hand I can't think of anything else I'd rather spend time worrying about.
ReplyDeleteCharlene, these questions make me question myself even more! I think one of the reasons we are questioning our teaching strategies is that both of us and perhaps Mighty too in this case, grew up with the belief of the traditional way of teaching and learning being the right and only way. And suddenly we have learned and acquired all these new techniques and theories of teaching and as teachers we are rather stuck between teaching in the teacher-centered way and this new student-centered way. Anyway, I am definitely in the same boat as you are.
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