Thoughts on Life as a Teacher
The title of this post is inspired. I read this chapter in a book where the author talks about mice and mould in American classrooms and the frustration that teachers experienced from having to teach in less than healthy physical conditions. Sometimes you read something that sticks with you. Mushrooms, Mice and Mould Shalaby in…
The Head of the Department and I were discussing today about a specific colleague who everyone knows and has labelled to be eccentric, to put it mildly. There have been so many instances in the past year or two, that in common language, we would call her mad. The rest of us in the department…
I have reached a stage where I have started accepting the hierarchy in student-teacher relationships. I sometimes fancy myself believing that it is necessary. I went for school observations today. The basis of this entire exercise is rooted in hierarchy. I sit at the back of the class while my students teach. With the current…
One of the key things that I learnt from working on field projects early in my career is the importance of teacher communities. I realised quite early that regular training and updating of skills for teaching, organised by the government, was a far-fetched dream. Although things have since changed at school level, many have often…
It is a little weird to ask this question because we tend to take schooling, and therefore teaching, as a given. We do not sit and wonder about whether it is necessary at all. In a teacher education programme, this is even more so. Everyone in the department is a teacher- a student teacher, a…
This article is inspired by my experiences of observing teaching processes in secondary school classrooms. Over a period of years I have observed the general tendency for teacher educators to repeatedly emphasise not relying on the textbook in the classroom. In sharp contrast lies the somewhat archaic method of teaching by reading and underlining text…
If there is anything that teachers hate the most, I think it is assessment. Correction work is the most difficult to manage. It is endless, it is repetitive, and it is so boring! On top of that, not only am I giving the same comments year after year, to countless students, I am also writing…
I am again writing on a holiday. It is a bit disappointing that we continue to work on holidays, and yet, it seems so natural. My attempts at keeping work and personal life separate have gone for a toss. A few years ago I made a strong decision to not make work calls to people…
It is a little disturbing that this is my first day of writing on this blog. I would have preferred a happier reflection. It is the middle of the day and it is not like the work is over. I still have a ton of work left for the day…. both academic and administrative. Balancing…
And miles to go… (10 years of a journey)2012 Noorjahan Diwan, Shabnam Hashmi, Sofiya Khan, Sayeda Hameed, and Zakia Soman Anhad pp. 150 This short book is one of the most powerful books that I have come across. I was a bit disappointed when the book began with a disclaimer on not having been proof read…
