The Art of Teaching
MARY ROSE M. BELTRAN The key to achieving a pleasant and smooth interaction with a number of diverse students is to always maintaining a positive attitude. They say it takes 21 days to develop a habit. Each day is important to strive to be positive ad look for the good in all things. Before you know it, you’ll start attracting all kinds of positive things in your life... and not just in your students.
For me, positive thinking is a habit, it is a choice. Positive attitudes make a change. Positive thinking is chock full of benefits such as it gives us higher energy level, stronger immune system, we tend to leave longer. Believe me no one like us when we are grumpy.
In our chosen profession as teachers, we definitely have to maintain a certain level of energy and remain positive in all times. Not just because we want it but we need to because we are setting a good example. This can especially be challenging when some of our students or even co teachers are constantly complaining and have negative thinking about situation. Negative energy is like a plaque and negative people will just burn out your brain.
Even student is different. You have some that are outgoing and friendly, some would like to be alone, some need that personal attention, and so on. In the beginning of my journey as a teacher I would get upset and take it personal when I greeted someone and they ignored or avoid me. But in the long run, I kept myself on track of that challenge. I stood and remained calm.
I know with myself that I have to study their actions and be optimistic about their body language/s and their faces (discreetly) to see if they need assistance or better interpret if them browsing around. I have found this much more effective in dealing with my students.
Our voice can even have a positive or negative effect on our interaction with our students. We need to speak at a rate that is comfortable for them. A good rule of thumb is to speak at a rate of 160 to 180 words per minute as my research revealed. Thus I believe that teaching is an art and it starts from within. So always be happy.
—oOo— The author is Secondary School Teacher I at Basa Air Base High School