i was training some grade school kids in debate, and was increasingly spacing out and losing focus, mostly cause the parents of the kids were there to observe that day. what didn't help was that i was using a microphone hooked up to a karaoke. so they could catch most every word. i told the kids, "let me not use the mic, 'coz I find myself getting pretty conscious." kid pipes up, "is it because the grownups are able to listen to you?" or something to that effect.
sometimes i get a little frustrated with my UP students. They're an OK lot, but sometimes it takes so much to extract anything from them. It makes me wonder if they have the sense that asking for help is a bad thing. Younger kids, if they don't get something, will get it off their chests and say so. College kids have already built their outer shell. If they don't get something, they just clam up. In a sense, that makes it more difficult for them to handle. One thing that you can't rely the younger kids to do though is to take initiative. It's just an observation on my part, not so much a generalization.
i think i don't remember the pace at which students learn. they cram everything at the last minute (still). so, why expect discussion classes to be optimal? they're more supplemental. heard a few stories today though, that some discussion leaders dismiss them after 10 minutes of lecture. but hey, these people keep on coming back right? at the very least to submit problem sets. there have to be getting some value from it.
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3 comments:
I try to minimize the time they have to be in my classroom. There are times that I do dismiss them after 10 minutes. Yes, they do keep coming back. I wonder why.
ebtg: who are you? thanks.
haven't they figured out yet that I make their exams? he he
Paloyo.
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