Free thoughts: Teacher-Talking Time (TTT)

FREE THOUGHTS

Teacher-Talking-Time (TTT)

1 One of the main impressions I get from overhearing people’s teaching is that teachers tend to love the sound of their own voices. I very often hear the teachers in expository mode going on and on about stuff. In the worst cases, this will encompass interesting relatives with stories to tell or student teacher experiences from the Lost Thailand Years. Yeah. Shut up and listen to me. This is the most important voice you will hear in the universe.

2 I tend to approach things differently. In my view, my role is to create the space in which learners can be as active as they possibly can. I think of each learner as a learning resource for another learner who must be activated as such. My role is to sit back and observe and learn from the process of observation so I can give feedback to the learners. I only go into expository mode if I really need to and only as a last resort. I like to think they anyone observing my lesson or overhearing it will be hearing mostly from learners. Like 90+% of the time.

3 I wonder why it is that so many teachers seem reluctant to give up too much space to learners in the classroom. Is it about a loss of control? Is it about feeling you aren’t doing your job as a teacher if you aren’t “being” a teacher? Or more troublingly, is it because teachers are petrified of any degree of proximity or authenticity with learners?