"So You Think You Can Teach? Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" Part 2...Finale?

Part 2

Piece of cake right?  Well, it can be if you chose your methodology wisely, the teacher you are working with hangs in there with you, another ten or twenty minutes can be squeezed out of the schedule, and you don’t succumb to the heat of the classroom.  If all of this goes well, and to be honest because the students you are working with are fabulously eager students it usually does, you will take that moto ride home feeling pretty darn terrific.  However, this feeling of elation depends immeasurably and irrevocably on your chosen methodology and program for the lesson.  A choice you usually have to make in one minute or less. 



Nothing like a good song to learn to



Light and shadow, lunar and solar eclipse, sexual reproductive parts, (don’t worry they won’t laugh, unless you want them to), parts of the tongues, the skeletal system, etc…what’s up in that gray matter?  One minute go…



We're waiting...



Also remember you can expect to have only about 40 % of what you want to convey through the teacher to be conveyed so you had better make it simple and concrete, be ready to move some bodies around, and to sweat…basically just resign yourself to sweating all the time, and by the way it is impolite to eat or drink in public so there will be no water bottle handy to replenish your fluids.  Also know that because the practice has been to not do these things the students may not know how to line up for a game, get into groups, think indepenantly, answer critical questions, practice dialogue together, form a circle, make guesses, estimate, or anything that does not involve listening, repeating, staying quiet in their desk, and answering very basic memorization questions.



Ready and willing





Are the wheels spinning?  It has been a minute and the very nice Rwandan teacher is looking at you.  They are looking at you and waiting for your suggestion that will not only knock their socks off, but also make their ten hour, double shift a day easier, more enjoyable, manageable, and perhaps, meaningful.  They very much want to be convinced so don’t blow it.  

You may also want to keep in mind that they are unlikely to be impressed with any of the subtleties of teaching like using a learner’s name, letting a student know that you are going to call on them next so that they can prepare an answer and gain confidence, seating arrangement, never turning your back on the class, or any kind of humor or staging within the lesson.  What they want are the facts, the facts being, have more students understood the stated goal in the end?  Therefore, be especially forewarned that you may walk out of the class after a lesson in which students were engaged, discussing, asking questions, and excited and eager to try these new ways of learning only to have the teacher ask you why you had not given them three questions at the end to evaluate their learning.  Teacher observation being another one of the many ideas they are not overly impressed with.

Using an extra large blackboard

Having said all that I am guessing that your co-teaching went well, you did a fair amount of sweating, and had a lot of fun watching students’ eyes light up when they realized that you did indeed expect them to participate, think, work together, and have a bit of fun.  I am also guessing that you will get a warm and genuine thank you from your co-teacher and may even see the teacher that seemed the least impressed with you and your ideas excited to see you a week later to tell you about their independent try at one or many of these learner centered ideas. 

Well, I think if you are still with me and reading any of this with interest it is likely that you are a teacher of high qualifications or at least a teacher at heart.  Therefore, I am happy and pleased to announce you…yes, that’s right¸ you, are now the United States Secretary of Education!  Wow, wee!  I wish you well and look forward to all the amazing things you will do with in your new post.  Whew.

Next?  The long awaited, “Feats of Strength!”