Bridging the Gap Between Teacher and Student by Ashley

Bridging the Gap Between Teacher and Student by Ashley - January 2015 Scholarship Essay

I walked into my chemistry lab for the first day of college. I had no idea what to expect; I’d never taken a college lab before, so this was my first one. Upon walking into the classroom, the thought enters my mind, ‘Great, I don’t know anybody in here…” Also, unbeknownst to me at the time, you are not allowed to wear open-toed shoes of any kind in any lab. Lo and behold, the professor noticed and proceeded to make fun of me off and on throughout the semester because I wore open toed shoes the first day of lab. From the first day on, that professor connected with me on a somewhat personal level, and it made the learning experience for me significantly better. Personally, if a professor takes the time or effort to connect with me as more than just a student in the class, I become more comfortable asking questions in class and enhances my understanding of the material presented in the class.

If I have a professor that attempts to connect with me on a personal level, I become more comfortable asking questions out loud in class, or asking questions to them one on one. I find this happening more in my online/distance learning classes. I have had a few teachers who did not make any attempt to get to know or talk to the students in the class; I asked for help from more of my classmates than I did my teacher. Therefore, I never asked that particular teacher any questions because I did not feel comfortable approaching them. On the other hand, in one of my math classes, our teacher (whom I love and miss dearly) was spontaneous, randomly funny, and connected with all of us on a level like no other teacher has before. I had no hesitation to ask questions out loud in class, or to her individually. If I feel comfortable in the class and with the teacher, I’ll speak up, and this comes from the teacher connecting with the students.

If I feel comfortable and somewhat connected with the teacher, I generally grasp the content that is being presented easier than I do if I’m not that connected with the teacher. For example, chemistry was a class in high school that I struggled with. I paid attention, took good notes, and completed all of the homework assignments, but I could never make higher than a B on any test. The teacher, in my opinion, just presented the material to us, with not much outside explanation other than what was required. In my first semester of college, I was required to take chemistry at the college level as a transfer requirement. This teacher explained the material to us rather than just presenting it to us, and provided us with the resources and materials necessary for us to succeed, and I did very well in that class. This may not be the case for everyone, but I was able to tell a significant difference in my understanding of the material presented.

The teacher can make a significant difference in the level of success one will have in a class, and I feel that the connection that a teacher attempts to make with their students is correlated to the success the students will have in the class. The better the relationship that the teacher has with the students will bring about less hesitation to ask questions in class and a general understanding of the material. I know this may not be the case for everyone, but it does for me personally.