Mackii
Toma
English
M01A
Professor
Scrofano
8 April
2013
Let’s Lecture
Prompt E
It is a rare occasion when I
voluntarily speak in class, so I am excited to write about something that I
rarely talk about. I have all the makings to be a “Chatty Cathy”, but I much
prefer writing to speaking. So I suppose this is like a long-awaited journal
entry for every teacher that has ever wished me to say something in class. And
when I do say something, they often wish for me to repeat myself just a little
louder. I have taken a multitude of different classes and have secretly clashed
with teachers and their methods for many years. My experiences have been
untraditional, but after much contemplation I have realized that my favorite
kind of conversation in the classroom is actually quite traditional. All I need
is a pencil, paper, and the makings of a simple lecture.
Yes, my ideal classroom environment involves
slim to no talking from students and a prepared lecture from the teacher. I
would hope that the teacher is open to taking questions and comments from the
class, but doesn’t require a class discussion. These questions would be self-voluntary
and answered in a nice length that doesn’t spur into some kind of tangent.
Nothing is worse than a classroom that can’t be controlled from a tangent topic
that is totally unrelated to the subject at hand. I say “self-voluntary
questions and comments” because I have been singled out my fair share of times.
There’s the elementary cup of sticks with student’s names on them that leave
you forever afraid of being picked on. And there’s the teacher who likes to
single out the quiet kids, which just turns into an awkward mess for the whole
room. Either situation is uncomfortable for me and I think that can be an easy
fix. For I would truly be at ease in knowing that my class would involve a
teacher doing the same lecture song and dance on their part and some standard
note taking on mine.
I don’t like to engage in banter in
my personal life, so I can’t say that I’m a fan of debate-oriented classroom
conversation. I was looking forward to a Media & Society Journalism class I
enrolled in last semester. I was not prepared for the full on debate group
discussions that would take place each week. I was not aware that it would
involve such little writing and I had a hard time feeling anything but regret
out of signing up for that class. Being forced to listen to opinions on topics
such as politics is rough. The whole class really has to be committed to this
kind of environment to really learn from one another and it can be especially
difficult when a teacher keeps the debate to a one-sided argument. Other
people’s opinions rarely sway my own so when I do talk, I don’t care enough to
change someone else’s mind either. I’m writing mostly on experience here, but
I’m also writing from the point of view of an artist and dancer. As a person
who expresses myself in a visual way, it’s no wonder why I cringe upon entering
a debate filled environment. Actually, if I could dance my way through school I
would.
On a side note, I was thankful to know a friend
in that Journalism class, which drastically changes the way I converse in a
classroom setting. This brings me to the topic of group work. I would like to
think that I’m fairly comfortable in my opinions, but I feel that they are
often too personal to share. That is why I find it much easier for me to
collaborate on a project when I am paired with a friend who knows my background.
But if my best friend isn’t in my class, please let me work alone. Having to
split the work and hope that person does his or her part or just getting to
know someone before moving onto the work itself is a serious struggle. And if a
class calls for group discussions, I definitely prefer a larger setting. While
it is unlikely that I’ll give any input to a large discussion, I’ll at least
have the pleasure of potential learning from listening to people talk. As for
small groups, I may get put with a group of people that’s even quieter than
myself and that leads to a still conversation of silence that acts like a big
waste of time. Strangely enough, I actually don’t have an issue speaking in such
group situations. The problem is that I have a hard time enjoying myself while
working in a group setting.
Clearly, I tend to work better as an
independent, but I did miss face-to-face classes after doing two years of
online home schooling during high school. I’m often too nervous to ask
questions in class, so I liked having an email relationship with my teachers
online. Equally important was foregoing group work, going at my own pace, and
wearing my pajamas to class every day. Yet even with everything I’ve said,
nothing beats face-to-face interaction if you really want to experience
education in the flesh. Since online class discussions weren’t mandatory, I
usually opted out of them. This allowed me to gain a lot of personal study
skills and self-motivation by teaching myself a lot. But consequently, this
defeats the purpose of school to me. I actually made myself go back to school
senior year for the interaction I was missing out on. Even if I don’t speak in
class, there’s still a lot you can get out of just showing up and listening
(regardless of the type of conversational styles in the classroom).
As I mentioned before, I like lectures.
In fact, I have come to realize that the classes that I have done the best in
throughout college have been straight lectures. I have found these classes to
reflect some of my favorite teachers as well. Even though the conversation in
these classes can become boring, it’s a repetitive standard that I find comfort
in. If I miss the class, I know that I’ll be able to look over someone else’s
notes. If I’m in the class, I know that if I simply pay attention, I will be
taken care of in return. However, I really do prefer the teacher have some kind
of power point going on because I’m currently trying to keep up with a lecture
class that involves plain talking from the teacher and no visual elements.
Here, I must specify that I certainly need a visual presentation to go along
with the lecture. Whether it is bullet points or pictures, I will no doubt
sleep with my eyes open without something that visually matches what my teacher
is saying.
As a result, the teaching style of
lectures leads right into the study skills that best meet the needs of my ideal
learning style. I had a teacher in high school that lectured and then told the
class everything that would be on the test. He would even give us the exact
essay he wanted, which could be written in the same way on the test. This
helped me immensely, because it’s incredibly trying to figure out what a
teacher wants when they make you fight for what you’re supposed to learn. I
just wish that all teachers could tell me exactly what they want me to get out of
the class so that I can do just that. It’s a win-win situation for both parties
in my opinion. Looking back, I’m starting to think that this preference
developed from my dance background. I’m so used to memorizing dances step by
step and from there I can execute my performance to my best ability. I only ask
that I get the same out of my college education so I can perform as my best
self.
In summary, my style is simple and I
don’t need the extra talking or the group work to keep me entertained in the classroom.
I’ve learned from writing this what kind of student I am and it’s an
interesting realization to say the least. The conversation I seek in a class
actually asks for very little conversing at all. This is something I seldom
experience so I think I’m going to have to learn how to take a liking to speaking
up in class. But the comfort I find in staying quiet is a style I have developed
over a long period of time, so I predict myself being mum for a bit longer till
I can break my habit of silence.
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