Teaching as a conversation.

I have been trying to think about how I interact with students in the classroom and how that interaction can sometimes work and sometimes go awry.

While I believe that there is value to basic discussion that doesn’t involve any media or other tools, I also recognize that there are many other ways to connect to a students passion than there were when I was in school.

I can remember a number of times as a student when I wished that there were some visuals to go along with what the teacher was saying.  The mimeographed handouts were helpful, but they held in them that elusive quality of being “teacher made.”  When I was asked to work with another student to give a presentation on King Lear, I proposed making a video that showed two “experts” giving a lengthy analysis of the major themes in the play while standing in a cow pasture.  While it was definitely fun and somewhat ridiculous, I actually read over the play more carefully than I had even for the paper.  The fact was that I felt more engaged in the material because I was excited about the idea of making this film.  In fact, the video camera helped to tap into a creativity that I felt was stifled during class discussions.  It was a seminal moment in my time as a student of English literature.

I am realizing more and more that students benefit from having multiple ways of entering into the discussion about a book or an idea.  I have not found one way that is universal for all kids, although I have found that there are certain ways that make me feel more comfortable.  The hard part is to find the energy and the willingness to practice those other ways (perhaps through technology) of entering into the conversation with the students.  I am trying to encourage myself to seek new ways of expanding my horizons in this regard.  Please let me know if you have ideas or suggestions.  It is helpful if you can include a sense of the time frame that it might take to learn the new skill.