Inspired
I have been greatly inspired by two Linguistics tutors this semester, and I feel incredibly lucky to learn so much from them. They are, by far, the best teachers I have ever had and met. Paroo made me love Phonetics and Phonology while James made me appreciate the beauty of researches and how we can conduct them ethically and accurately. I didn't really appreciate James' teaching at first, because he seemed unsure of the knowledge he was going to impart to us, but after a consultation with him, I realized that it wasn't that he was unsure of his knowledge; it was because he was constantly thinking of ways he could simplify it for us such that we can absorb as much as we can. He has such passion for Linguistics that I felt that I could sit with him in his office forever and discuss about Linguistics. He has such kindness and dedication in him that he never hesitates to help his students whenever they have difficulties in the subject. What touched me most was when he helped my group out on a project that wasn't even from his module. He had me send him our data and then went on to provide the different ways we could organize our data such that we could explain and illustrate them to the best of our ability. He went beyond what we expected of him just to help us, and my heart warmed up at how dedicated he is as a teacher. He doesn't believe that his role as a teacher ends at only teaching whatever is required in his module; he believes that teaching is imparting whatever knowledge he possesses to his students, even if they are not required of his module. As long as the student asks, he will answer.
I already knew beforehand that Paroo was an expert in Phonetics and Phonology, so I had rather high expectations of him when he taught the module. I was expecting to learn a lot more than I did last semester because an amateur tutor was assigned to us, and I was amazed at what Paroo had delivered. He made Phonetics and Phonology so much easier to understand. What touched me most was when he made this statement in class: "It isn't your fault you don't get Phonetics; it's my fault. I must not have taught in a way that you could comprehend, so never ever stop asking me questions. Ask me till you understand because it's my job to impart my knowledge to you. Knowledge isn't imparted if you do not understand what I have taught." It was the first time a teacher ever said that to me (even though he was directing to the entire class). How many teachers have we met whom actually took it upon themselves when you do not understand a particular subject? Many teachers simply push the blame to the students, falsely accusing them of being stupid because they are so arrogant of their own ways of teaching. Paroo, a veteran in teaching, is so humble towards his teaching. He is so passionate about Phonetics and he made me passionate about it too. I do realize that it is imperative that tutors are passionate about what they are teaching, because when they love it so much, their passion will spread to their students and they will enthusiastically share their knowledge with their students as well.
I found out that being a teacher really isn't just spewing your knowledge at your students. While you teach, you are indirectly imparting to them different values as well. You serve as an inspiration to your students and they emulate your behavior and attitude. If you have no passion towards the subject you are teaching, then how do you expect your kids to enjoy learning it? A teacher is like a third parent. He or she teaches you things that your parents can't and they inspire you to aspire. And I think the most heartwarming gift a teacher can ever receive is the appreciation and growth of the students. I always feel incredibly touched when I see how much my kids have grown and learned every week. When I see them, I feel my fatigue evaporating instantly. I promise myself to always improve my teaching so that they can learn more effectively, but every time I see how much they have learned, I always feel that it's their credit and never mine. My kids must be so smart that they can absorb my kind of teaching, and I am really grateful to them. They always show such passion in learning and give me so much love that I want to repay such kindness so much. I never thought that I would be learning so much when I started teaching, and I love my kids as if they are my own. I cannot imagine how I would feel when the day comes when I have to leave them.
I already knew beforehand that Paroo was an expert in Phonetics and Phonology, so I had rather high expectations of him when he taught the module. I was expecting to learn a lot more than I did last semester because an amateur tutor was assigned to us, and I was amazed at what Paroo had delivered. He made Phonetics and Phonology so much easier to understand. What touched me most was when he made this statement in class: "It isn't your fault you don't get Phonetics; it's my fault. I must not have taught in a way that you could comprehend, so never ever stop asking me questions. Ask me till you understand because it's my job to impart my knowledge to you. Knowledge isn't imparted if you do not understand what I have taught." It was the first time a teacher ever said that to me (even though he was directing to the entire class). How many teachers have we met whom actually took it upon themselves when you do not understand a particular subject? Many teachers simply push the blame to the students, falsely accusing them of being stupid because they are so arrogant of their own ways of teaching. Paroo, a veteran in teaching, is so humble towards his teaching. He is so passionate about Phonetics and he made me passionate about it too. I do realize that it is imperative that tutors are passionate about what they are teaching, because when they love it so much, their passion will spread to their students and they will enthusiastically share their knowledge with their students as well.
I found out that being a teacher really isn't just spewing your knowledge at your students. While you teach, you are indirectly imparting to them different values as well. You serve as an inspiration to your students and they emulate your behavior and attitude. If you have no passion towards the subject you are teaching, then how do you expect your kids to enjoy learning it? A teacher is like a third parent. He or she teaches you things that your parents can't and they inspire you to aspire. And I think the most heartwarming gift a teacher can ever receive is the appreciation and growth of the students. I always feel incredibly touched when I see how much my kids have grown and learned every week. When I see them, I feel my fatigue evaporating instantly. I promise myself to always improve my teaching so that they can learn more effectively, but every time I see how much they have learned, I always feel that it's their credit and never mine. My kids must be so smart that they can absorb my kind of teaching, and I am really grateful to them. They always show such passion in learning and give me so much love that I want to repay such kindness so much. I never thought that I would be learning so much when I started teaching, and I love my kids as if they are my own. I cannot imagine how I would feel when the day comes when I have to leave them.