My wife and I had gone to a school named Hansel to inquire about a job opening for her. There we met Malathi, the person who set up this school. She showed us the books that they had handmade to assist them in teaching the children in a way that ordinary textbooks didn't allow them. That was the first indication that this was no ordinary school. Malathi went on to explain how they try to give their pupils a contextual education: World War I didn't happen just because the whole world chose two sides. It was because when Germany attacked Belgium, France, being adjacent, knew it couldn't let Belgium fall; and England couldn't let France fall because only a thin strait separated them and so on. That how learning Geography goes hand in hand with History so that students are able to relate where the countries are with how they interacted with each other. She explained how important it was to individually pay attention to each student, why they split classes into two sections whenever the strength reaches 24. How, in teaching others, you learn so much yourself.
Her enthusiasm with education was so contagious that I felt the tremendous urge to teach. When I expressed that desire, Malathi promptly suggested that I do a session with her students on Saturday. Maverick that I am, I asked for a topic that's not there in books - since they'll be covering the book lessons anyway. So she asked me to give a history lecture on the Great Depression. Even though I was good at history in school, I have no qualifications that make me a good history teacher, or even teacher, for that matter. Nevertheless, I grabbed the offer with both hands. That is the kind of teacher kids should have: one who inspires and empowers them to do things they've never done before.
I spent a lot of time on the net researching the topic. I knew that it was not only important to simplify the lesson, but also to make it more engaging. I went about preparing the talk the way we do it in office: prepare a ppt. I had no idea whether the students would find that medium engaging enough. So I made each slide have a photo as a background and just 4-6 terms per slide. The idea was to capture their attention by telling the incidents in the form of a story. I even did dry runs to an empty room to make sure that I didn't fumble or falter.
The first lecture was a pleasant surprise. Not only did the talk go well, the students didn't look bored or lost. They were listening attentively. I made sure I asked them questions and get them thinking on possible causes to situations. I also encouraged them asking questions. That let them to be a part of it.
I even added a few life lessons to make it more meaningful: Knowledge is sometimes ambiguous. History repeats itself because we don't learn from other people's mistakes, especially when they lived a long time ago.
For the second lecture, Malathi taught me a neat technique: write up the key points on chits of paper and ask the students to draw one each and talk to the class on what it means. This is a great way of getting them to participate, giving them an opportunity at public speaking and repeating concepts in a new way that increases retention.
The third lesson was showing them a movie based in the Great Depression time: Cinderella Man. Movies are an excellent way to drive up interest and give knowledge a context, an anchor for remembering things.
Through it all, I had a great time. I enjoyed studying and creating the presentation. I got a high from being in the flow, teaching eager minds. I was energized by the enthusiasm the students displayed. I appreciated the parents' gratitude. I liked being a guest lecturer. I started feeling great about making my weekends productive. Now I know what job satisfaction really is: it's in doing what you love.
What's that "something else" that you do to be happy?
Her enthusiasm with education was so contagious that I felt the tremendous urge to teach. When I expressed that desire, Malathi promptly suggested that I do a session with her students on Saturday. Maverick that I am, I asked for a topic that's not there in books - since they'll be covering the book lessons anyway. So she asked me to give a history lecture on the Great Depression. Even though I was good at history in school, I have no qualifications that make me a good history teacher, or even teacher, for that matter. Nevertheless, I grabbed the offer with both hands. That is the kind of teacher kids should have: one who inspires and empowers them to do things they've never done before.
I spent a lot of time on the net researching the topic. I knew that it was not only important to simplify the lesson, but also to make it more engaging. I went about preparing the talk the way we do it in office: prepare a ppt. I had no idea whether the students would find that medium engaging enough. So I made each slide have a photo as a background and just 4-6 terms per slide. The idea was to capture their attention by telling the incidents in the form of a story. I even did dry runs to an empty room to make sure that I didn't fumble or falter.
The first lecture was a pleasant surprise. Not only did the talk go well, the students didn't look bored or lost. They were listening attentively. I made sure I asked them questions and get them thinking on possible causes to situations. I also encouraged them asking questions. That let them to be a part of it.
I even added a few life lessons to make it more meaningful: Knowledge is sometimes ambiguous. History repeats itself because we don't learn from other people's mistakes, especially when they lived a long time ago.
For the second lecture, Malathi taught me a neat technique: write up the key points on chits of paper and ask the students to draw one each and talk to the class on what it means. This is a great way of getting them to participate, giving them an opportunity at public speaking and repeating concepts in a new way that increases retention.
The third lesson was showing them a movie based in the Great Depression time: Cinderella Man. Movies are an excellent way to drive up interest and give knowledge a context, an anchor for remembering things.
Through it all, I had a great time. I enjoyed studying and creating the presentation. I got a high from being in the flow, teaching eager minds. I was energized by the enthusiasm the students displayed. I appreciated the parents' gratitude. I liked being a guest lecturer. I started feeling great about making my weekends productive. Now I know what job satisfaction really is: it's in doing what you love.
What's that "something else" that you do to be happy?
