A Dialogue
"Complete this table, Read this text andanswer the following questions, Listen and follow in your book, raise your handbefore you speak …………".
"Teacher, what are you talking about? Why do I have to learn? Why do I have tolearn a language other than mine? Is it important to study? What is the finalresult of education? My sister studied nursing and what? She is washing dishes!My brother studied computer science and look at him, he is selling cigarettesto earn his living! Stop teaching me, I don't want to have a headache! Teacher,look at us! Understand WHO we are and what do we WANT? What do we NEED beforeyou teach us?"
Shocking questions, for the first time I lookeddeeply into their eyes. How come I didn't see them wondering these questionsbefore? I said to my self yes, I have toknow my students before I tell them about the British Museumor Global Warming.
A tear dropped from my eyes when I walked throughthe narrow paths of the camp. Two room houses, metal roofs, broken windows, andwhat am I teaching? Countable and uncountable nouns!
Stop!!!
I have to build a culture of motivation, desire, positivismand necessity to learn. I searched my memory for quotes I believe in and foundmy Malcolm telling my students:" education is your passport for the future,for tomorrow belongs to people who prepare for it today"," you willnever leave where you are until you decide where you would rather be".
And I saidlook at Miss Halimah, She's your neighbor she believed in education and hereshe is, teaching you science. Look at Sana'a she believed in knowledge shestudied nursing and there she is giving you medicine tablets at the clinic,look at Ahmed and …..and ……..and ………………!!!!!.
Motivating students is a struggle we face everyday, building a culture of believing in education and knowledge, is the roadmap that will guide our students and show them what is possible in life.
Teacher: Yara Amr Al-Laqta
well-said Yara.You put it all in a nutshell containig motivation,belief and purpose.It is teaching for life that we are doing but we need to build bridges of trust ,understanding and above all seek to provide an answer to the oft-quoted question-What's in it for me?- I believe it's a challenge for all educationists-don't you think so Michael?
ReplyDeleteI do agree Osama and Yara, and certainly, motivation will be something we will talk about in a week or so :)
ReplyDeleteYou are right Yara, I' ve been teaching English in Jerash Camp for eight years. And I am always sad when I see the frustrated sts. ( their parents can't afford teaching them at universities, and if they study, they can't work in government jobs as they don't have the nationality, the girls are being married at early age ( may be 16 or 17!!) so beside teaching , we have another mission, to build self-confidence, motivation, challange , and most of all hope......
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