I suppose that for every teacher, in every class, there some students that make the effort worthwhile. As many of those who might read this blog are or have been teachers, this is common knowledge.
In my current class of 14, there are some who don't want to be there, some who follow my directions without thought, and some who supply vast amounts of invigoration. Of the 14, two men, age 18 and 32, scored perfect zeros on their computer test 6 weeks ago. One of them simply wrote his name and a brief apologetic note.
These two sit in opposite corners of the computer lab, during the four day session for the beginners. The lap itself consists of desktops almost a decade old sitting on wobbly table and chairs of various colors and textures. I bounce between these two students fairly consistently for two reasons: one, they have very limited understanding of how to use a computer and two, they have very limited understanding of English.
"Open," I say as I tap on an icon on the older student's screen.
He cocks his head to one side and furrows his brow. He just stares at me. Spoken language is not an option. His small, tentative hand rests motionless on the mouse. How can you teach without words? I place my hand on top of his, guide the cursor to a program and quickly tap his right index finger. As this is taking place, he slowly leans toward the screen and squints his eyes in concentration. When he finally manages to translate my finger tapping and opens the program, his brow releases and he emits a subtle, "Ohhhh."
In the opposite corner the younger one sits silently. He will stare at the screen for minutes, not in an absent stupor but devouring all he sees, methodically examining every detail. I point to where he is supposed to go, give instructions in the simplest English possible, and after a few attempts he gets it. Every single time this happens, he rears back slightly in grateful surprise and gives a chipper, "Thank you!"
Basic computer skills are not the most thrilling subject, for me or the students. For these two, however, learning how to use a mouse and change the font are unlocked pieces to a daunting enigma.
We ended class just before lunch yesterday. Most of the 14 students were focused and helpful to each other and so they finished the lesson plan early. At around 3 pm, these two novices came back to the lab.
"What are you doing here?" I asked. "We do not have class this afternoon."
"We have come to practice."
Of these two, the younger one, the author of the apologetic note, scored the lowest on the final test. He earned a 97%. The other got a 100.
2 comments:
TREVOR! I am so impressed with everything that you are doing. I loved the blog about the dancing, it is so good for the soul. But I aspecially loved and appreciated the blog about your teaching experiences. It really warms my heart and makes me appreciate all of the teachers out there who have been an inspiration to me. Thank you for being an inspiration to these kids! Whether it is through computers or dancing. :)
Trevor, isn't it fun when your students do well! So neat to see them practicing. I remember I used to choose not to give a grade at all, and allow for a redo with me, rather than give a poor grade to my really unmotivated students with no confidence or hope in their abilities. It was always amazing to watch their attitudes, effort, and ultimately their grades, go up when they realized they really could succeed! And that they had a teacher who refused to let them fail. Ah, makes me miss teaching...just a little bit :)
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