Teacher Should be a Working Encyclopedia
Zainab Fatima teaches biology in Progress Global School to classes 8th and 9th. She has been in the profession from 5 years and enjoys her time with students, teaching them while enjoying at the same time. She talks to Next Gurukul about how she manages being friendly with her students yet drawing a line.
Q. How can a teacher incorporate smart classes in her teaching style?
Smart classes are exceedingly interesting way of teaching and give more than the desired results if used intelligently in addition to one’s respective teaching style. For instance, after covering and explaining a specific portion in a chapter, I pause and explain the taught content through different life examples. In biology, the advantage is that concepts and content can be co-related to various objects and living examples.
Q. How do you help the weak students in your class?
When it comes to the weak students, you easily get if they have understood the concept or not just by the look at their faces. Such students will continue staring at you or the board, trying to make you feel that they have understood, but it means the contrary.
I prefer asking them questions in respect to what I have taught. If they do not answer in the first go, I ask different questions about the same topic. The student here might not be able to answer all, but 1-2 questions he will, this will show you how much he has understood. Once you know that, you can explain again the part not understood by him immediately.
Q. Any special technique to make one’s teaching style effective?
Always go through the section going to be taught yourself, before you start teaching. In fact, you may even browse the internet for some extra information regarding the to be taught content, so that you can help students learn something more in addition to just the study curriculum.
Develop reading habit, if you don’t have it yet. It is one habit which every teacher must have, as reading not only enhances your knowledge pool, but also will help keep your students engaged during classes, as children somehow take instant interest in everything from outside the study curriculum. A teacher should always work towards guiding and taking the child to a level higher than he already is.
Q. Qualities which the up-coming teachers must have?
They should be extremely well aware of their subject and have the entire subject knowledge outside the textbook content as well. They should be able to answer every question which is posted to them, irrespective of it being course related or not. Students believe that whatever they ask, teachers ought to have an answer to that. In a nutshell, they should put effort in their teaching and be a working encyclopedia.
Q. What tips would you give students to make effective their study methods?
A student must always study with the intention of studying, irrespective of when and how long he studies for. This way, neither will he waste time by just staring at the book and sub-consciously believing that he is studying, nor will he ever get bored of studying. Students should keep in mind that marks are not important, what’s more important is the concept knowledge. Never study for bagging in marks, if you study for concept knowledge, marks will automatically fall in your bag.
On the bottom line, students must remember three things to achieve success: hard work, time management and to be goal-oriented. If they study while keeping these three factors in mind, success won’t be far from them.
