I have never written a blog sending out new year’s greetings. Still, it doesn’t feel as if the new year has begun especially when the university term started for us on 24th Dec. (Yes, on Chrsitmas eve!!!). This is my 29th year in the field of education! Time has flown and I have begun to think of doing different things …. while I still can!
I still enjoy the teaching and learning new things. Change and changing are realities I am quite happy to accept. But changing for the sake of changing, I can do without. And sometimes, I feel this is what is forced upon us. I dislike any change that compromises my beliefs as a teacher. I dislike any change that affects my efficiency as a teacher. And I sometimes can’t help but believe that this is my feelings towards some of the changes that have come upon me.
But all is not lost. I still have a passion for my work. There are changes that have made life more fascinating. Technology and the Internet, for instance. They have made our lives as teachers so much more exciting! We can do things we never dreamed of before. How quickly we connect! How small the world has become. We are no longer the centre of our students’ learning. We are now just one of the sources of our learners’ knowledge. In fact, we are in competiton with the outside world to keep our learners’ in our classes. We must make it worthwhile for them to attend our classes.
So everytime I walk out a classroom or lecture hall, I ask myself if the last hour was worthwhile for my students. Did they learn anything? What did I learn from them and how can I use it to be a more effective teacher.
So tomorrow and for many more days to come, I will be walking in and out classes, hoping to teach my students and do some learning with them.
So happy 2008 to all.