From Teaching To Having a Conversation

Teaching. The traditional way of teaching is to passively explain to the students the concepts and theories they need to learn about a specific topic. It is where the teacher takes almost 99% of the work. In such a context, the students are expected to listen, write notes and ask questions if they have doubts. In such a setting, the teacher is expected to stand in front of the students next to the white board or smart board. The students are all sitting in straight rows and all of them are facing the teacher directly. Such a context puts a pressure on the teacher who is expected to do most of the work and the students are expected to take in and digest the information transmitted.

This approach of teaching places emphasis on the teacher. It sends messages that the teacher knows and the students don’t. It also signals that the teacher has the full authority to handle the classroom and the students are expected to obey and follow the teacher’s instructions.

It is very clear now that with the boom of information age and all the information easily available online for free with just a click, the traditional teaching approach is useless. If students can read the information or listen to the lecture online during their convenience, why do we waste our time during classes explaining theories and definitions to the students? What if we turn this approach around? Instead of teaching and telling them the concepts and definitions, what if we have authentic conversations with them about the topic? What if we tell them interesting stories from the local market instead of citing findings from previous authors?

It is such a humble experience to interact with the students on a daily basis and get to talk with them. Turning teaching into talking with them can enrich your interaction with the students and change the vibe in the classroom. It reduces the focus on the teacher only and makes the whole audience engaged with the conversation. Telling interesting stories related to the topic also can resonate with the students’ experiences. We are not only teaching them the academic courses, but we also coach them on life-related experiences.

With all these being said, let’s all reflect on our teaching practices. What is teaching for? What indirect messages are we sending to our students when teaching? How are we relating to our students? What expectations do we have from each other? Are we there to tell them what they need to know or are we there to interact with them as humans and talk about topics that matter? Are we above them or are we with them? Can we trust their learning instinct and allow learning to happen in different forms and styles? Can we break the cultural barrier with our students and freely engage with them?