http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/spellings-says-unc-system-wont-try-to-enforce-controversial-bathroom-law/111714
This is a very interesting article about a professor who enrolls as an undercover student at the school he taught at. Mike Cross, who taught chemistry at Northern Essex Community College for six years enrolled as a student to see how students handle all their work. He already had a PhD in chemistry, but he wanted to get his associate degree in liberal arts. He wanted to experience the full college experience himself, all up to getting his own degree.
After this experience, the professor says that he was able to empathize with students a lot more. He understood what goes through their mind when they’re doing work and trying to graduate. He mentions that he was able to understand what goes through students’ minds when they are late for class, or even want to skip class. It was also awkward when he ran into his own previous students in his classes. He was able to fix his teaching with this learning experience. He learned that certain classes have uncomfortable chairs/desks, and when he was being a teacher, he would use this empathy when seeing kids squirm in their uncomfortable chairs. He also made sure to write an appropriate size so that kids in the back of the class could read, which was something he didn’t really care about before. The students, when they learned what he did, really appreciated the work he put in to empathize with students.
I feel that this is something all teachers should do. There are many teachers who don’t empathize with how students feel because they don’t know, and they act accordingly. If teachers knew what students go through, they may be able to fix their teaching. They would be able to empathize with the issues that students go through, and this would allow them to fix any issues that students may have with them. This article was extremely interesting to read, and I was especially able to appreciate what this professor did. I think all of you guys should read this and appreciate what he did as well.
Chris, I read some of the other articles that you responded to, but I connect most with this due to my field of study. I aspire to be a teacher, and after reading this article, I couldn’t agree more with what you suggested. I haven’t officially taught as a head teacher yet, but as a math and English tutor, I do come into frequent contact with young children. I, too, make the mistake of losing my patience at my students, and I also have days when I find it very difficult to empathize with them. We hope that all educators be open-minded, but it is impossible demand or even expect everyone to be like Professor Cross. However, I do draw inspiration from what he did, and hope that all educators, regardless of their seniority or experience, understand that they too can learn from their students, or in this case, from being a student.
Also, you chose some very interesting articles; I enjoyed reading them.