Teaching by Heart

 

FOUR

Teaching Individuals

Trying to Create an Equal Opportunity Classroom

As the last chapter suggests, every student is unique, and teachers must consider the needs of particular students as well as the group’s desired goals. The biggest challenge with individuals, however, is if you’ve been teaching for a while, you start categorizing students reflexively. Over thirty-five years of teaching has informed me, whether for good or for ill, that certain types of students exist. For instance, some are enthusiastic about the course initially and then lose interest. There are also students who communicate that they already know the material, looking down on me and others who might be wasting their time. Some students struggle with the requirement ...