The Mediocre Teacher Tells - by R. Narayanan

Karen's Linguistics Issues, February 2007 | Previous Months

The Mediocre Teacher Tells

by R. Narayanan, Vinayaka Missions University, Aarupadai Veedu Institute of Technology, Kanchipuram, India

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” – WILLIAM ARTHUR WARD

This practical article focuses on the role of the teacher in the language learning classroom and also suggests how to motivate learners - especially those taking classes in the evenings - and what students' behaviors are. Besides this, this article focuses on the teacher's responsibility to observe, understand and motivate his or her learners.

In the second language classroom environment, what undoubtedly influences learners’ learning outcomes is their interpretation of interpersonal teacher behaviour. So, in language learning, the teacher plays the main role.

According to Mickey Nasiri, General Manager at Cambridge Silicon Radio:

"For the drivers in my city, it is obvious how bad the pedestrians behave. They walk on the roads, slow down the traffic, and they don’t even care about their own safety.

The drivers have to honk to make the pedestrians aware of the danger they put their lives in. For the pedestrians in my city, it is obvious how bad the drivers behave. Drivers don’t let the pedestrians cross the roads and they honk and pollute the city.

A simple psychometric test shows that hyped self-perception is a widespread human trait. A good leader is aware of this myth and surrenders to the belief that “people are like me, and they try to do the best job they can” which helps in effective delegation.

This belief makes the good leader wonder why one succeeds and the other fails.

If understanding the concept of 'hyped self-perception' is a foundation for effective delegation, the answer to the above question, 'condition', is the heart of motivational skills.

Although everyone tries one’s best, the conditions are different. The obstacles in one’s condition could de-motivate the individual, and demotivated people are normally not successful.

A good leader works for creating the condition conducive to success for people around him/her.

People do the best they can; the leader just needs to remove the biggest obstacles. Now, if the good leader’s belief in people would lead to less honking cars, well, that is also positive for the reduction of noise pollution. "

(Leader speech motivating leaders, Don’t honk!: The Hindu Business Line, Monday, August 14, 2006 p.11.)

The above-said words were meant not only for a good leader, but also for a good teacher or facilitator - who helps to remove the biggest language learning obstacles from his/her learners, and creates conditions conducive to language learning success.

So, in educational contexts the designated leaders are usually the teachers, and the way they carry out leadership roles has a significant influence on the classroom climate and group processes. Stevick (1996) expresses this very clearly:

“On the chessboard of academic-style education, the most powerful single piece is the teacher. Society invests him or her with authority, which is the right to exercise power. The personal style with which she or he wields that authority is a principal determinant of the power structure of the class.”(p.180)

Hence, the teacher affects every facet of classroom life, and a successful teacher should therefore ask questions such as these:

· What things puzzle my learners?

· What issues concern them?

· What problems or traits do they wish I could help them solve?

A good teacher or facilitator should listen to his/her students with empathy, and provide them with the support that they so greatly need.

· Observe: I teach English to engineering and technology students where I see students from different backgrounds, needs and styles of learning. Besides this, in my daily teaching I observe learners behavioral changes because of :

1. taking language classes at unusual times (late evenings).

2. the language teacher takes substitution classes (without prior intimation to students).

· Understand: I watch my learners' behavioral changes when I give my late evening classes . I see some behaviors are:

sad confused broken hearted

flirtatious angry not talking

silly yawning thinking nail biting

I understand them and I change my style of teaching into their style of learning. I also for their suggestions and preferred tasks .

· Motivate: In order to motivate learners, I introduce a lot of new activities into my classroom:

1.      group discussions

2.      story telling

3.      word puzzles

4.      numerical games

5.      odd man out

6.      talking about personal feelings, etc.

To conclude this article, a good teacher should listen and understand his/her learners’ feelings, especially when he/she gives language classes in the late evenings and as a substitute teacher. I would say that teachers are also responsible for the behavioral changes of the learners, and in order to maintain a classroom conducive to language learning success, teachers should observe, understand and motivate their learners with care and affection.

References

· Mickey Nasiri (2006) The Hindu Business Line: Leader speech motivating leaders, Don’t honk!, (p.11) Monday, August 14, 2006.

· Stevick, E.W.1996.Memory, Meaning and Method: A view of language teaching (2^nd Ed.) Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle.

Bio-Data

R. Narayanan works as an English lecturer at VINAYAKA MISSIONS UNIVERSITY, Aarupadai Veedu Institute of Technology, Paiyanoor, Old Mahabalipuram Road, Kanchipuram Dist -603 104. He is particularly interested in Indian writing in English and English language teaching. He has presented two papers, and holds an MA in English Literature, an MA in Linguistics, and an MPhil in Indian Writing in English). He is currently doing his PhD research at Annamalai University.

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