ThatmorningIsteppedintotheclassroomreadytosharemyknowledgeandexperiencewithseventy-fivestudentswhowouldbemyEnglishLiteratureclass.HavingtaughtinforseventeenyearsIhadnoaboutmyabilitytoholdthe
ThatmorningIsteppedintotheclassroomreadytosharemyknowledgeandexperiencewithseventy-fivestudentswhowouldbemyEnglishLiteratureclass.HavingtaughtinforseventeenyearsIhadnoaboutmyabilitytoholdtheirattentionandtoonthemmyadmirationfortheliteratureofmymothertongue.
Iwasshockedwhenthemonitorshouted"!"TheentireclassroseasIenteredtheroomandIwassomewhatabouthowtogetthemtositdownagainbutoncethatawkwardnesswasoverIquicklymycalmnessandbeganwhatIthoughtwasafact-packedlecturesuretogaintheirrespect—perhapstheiradmiration.Iwentbacktomyofficewiththerosyglowwhichcamefromasenseofachievement.
Mystudentsdiaries.HoweverasIreadthemtherosyglowwasgradually49byastrongsenseofsadness.Thefirstdiarysaid"Ourliteratureteacherdidn’tteachusanythingtoday.hernextlecturewillbebetter."GreatlysurprisedIreaddiaryafterdiaryeachexpressingatheme."Didn’tIteachthemanything?IdescribedtheentirephilosophicalframeworkofWesternthoughtandlaidthehistoricalforalltheworkswe’llstudyinclass"Icomplained."HowtheysayIdidn’tteachthemanything?"
Itwasalongtermanditbecameclearthatmyideasabouteducationwerenotthesameasofmystudents.Ithoughtateacher’sjobwastoraisequestionsandprovideenoughbackgroundsothatstudentscouldtheirownconclusions.Mystudentsthoughtateacher’sjobwastoprovideinformationasdirectlyandclearlyaspossible.Whatadifference!
IalsolearnedalotandmyexperiencewithmyChinesestudentshasmademeaAmericanteacherknowinghowtoteachinadifferentculture.
1.A.theUKB.theUSC.ChinaD.Australia
2.A.worryB.ideaC.doubtD.experience
3.A.impressB.putC.leaveD.fix
4.A.AttentionB.LookoutC.AteaseD.Standup
5.A.puzzledB.sureC.curiousD.worried
6.A.foundB.returnedC.regainedD.followed
7.A.moreB.evenC.yetD.still
8.A.passedB.borrowedC.readD.kept
9.A.replacedB.takenC.caughtD.moved
10.A.NaturallyB.PerhapsC.FortunatelyD.Reasonably
11.A.differentB.strongC.similarD.usual
12.A.happeningsB.charactersC.developmentD.backgroun