mercoledì 31 dicembre 2008

The worst

The session was on Group Processes and inevitably what the quetsion what to do about naughty students popped up. An American colleague in the group I was working with stuck up his hand and said 'I have found an infallible way to get rid of all discipline-related problems'. We all pricked up our ears, giddy w/ anticipation, at last a practical quick fix. 'Yes', he continued, 'when my students misbehave, I have them do grammar exercises. Because they inevitably make mistakes, I will correct them and this will remind them who's boss'. It is, I think, one of the worst things I have ever heard anyone say about teaching. Of course it has to do with power and a host of various other issues.
A close second would be a (different) colleague saying that reading omprehension questions that appeal to the students' emotions are a waste of time because they do not push the student to analyze the text. But isn't 'analyzing' all our students are being asked to do? What if from time to time we asked them to explore a text, rhyme, song, and experience it first?

Happy New Year!

1 commento:

  1. This problem is the same we have in Turkey! When I go to my practicum school one day in a week,I get depressed because of naughty students,especially boys:) And ın general, in Turkey teachers don't have any crucial idea on how to cope with this problem. But I think, it would be good if we gave students some interesting tasks which could work their creativity and ability. So,the students would spend their energy to do useful works!!!!

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