I’m trying
something a little new with my teaching this semester, which should not come as
any surprise. Last semester, I was able to make a connection with my students
in a way that I hadn’t previously. It came from not talking about the course material.
I remember
the day clearly, where I got into a conversation with students before class
began, talking about education in general and their concerns about college,
job, and life.
The
beginning of class came and went, and I let the conversation continue. I let it
go for another forty-five minutes. The results were interesting, if not
spectacular. From that time on, I could feel the class gel even more, and they
appeared more interested in what each other had to say, and what I had to say.
So I’m
trying to make more room in my curriculum and teaching to allow for discussions
and topics important and relevant to them. And in trademark fashion I believe I
can bend the topic back around to that of the class, showing them why class
material is important to them.