Listen Up and Teach by Amy

Listen Up and Teach by Amy - January 2015 Scholarship Essay

Teachers. You guys are the most knowledgeable, patient, talented, and versatile people I know. I admire you in so many ways and owe my quality education to you. In fact, I aspire to be one of you. You are the elite group of people who, day in and day out, rise to the challenge of taking your own understanding and turning it into someone else’s understanding. It is a hard thing to accomplish, especially when you are trying to relate to more than twenty-five different learners. Sometimes it seems as though it’s simply impossible. I have been watching you do your job for the last sixteen years of my life and here is one piece of advice I humbly offer at your disposal. Listen up and teach.

One of the most demanding aspects of a class with regard to time is the questions asked by students. Students encounter several obstacles while trying to learn new concepts and the best way to gain clarity is to ask a question in class as soon as the confusion arises. But this can sometimes cause delay in lecture time, especially if the question requires much back-tracking. Soon the other students have disengaged and the class feels a little off track. That can’t always be avoided. Hard questions require thorough answers. I understand that you try to make up for lost time by anticipating what the student is asking before they finish the question. You launch into the answer with all eagerness, ready to ensure understanding before you move on. Unfortunately, from my experience, that usually results in more lost time as well. Listen before you answer. I have watched valiant mini-lectures that thoroughly address a question a teacher thinks a student is asking, but it’s the right answer for the wrong question! These explanations have gone on for five, ten, even as much as twenty minutes or more without actually addressing any given question. And that’s five, ten, twenty minutes or more of a ninety to 120 minute class. In the end, the student either finishes asking their question which needs more explanation, or the student keeps the question to himself and goes without gaining any clarity. It’s counterproductive at best and frustrating to both students and teachers.

Make sure to listen before you teach. Students are just young people who desire to expand their knowledge, have thought-provoking conversations, and reach their goals. Students want quality teaching just as much as you want to provide quality teaching. They want to feel like you listen to them as much as they listen to you. Teachers are great at what they do. So add this to your repertoire of teaching tools. Listen up and teach.