ThatmorningIsteppedintotheclassroomreadytosharemyknowledgeandexperiencewithseventy-fivestudentswhowouldbemyEnglishLiteratureclass.Havingtaughtin forseventeenyearsIhadno aboutmyabilitytoholdtheirattentionandtoimpressonthemmy fortheliteratureofmymothertongue.
AsIenteredtheroomIwas whenthemonitorshouted:“Standup!”TheentireclassroseandIwassomewhat abouthowtogetthemtositdownagain.OncethatawkwardnesswasoverIquickly mycalmnessandbeganwhatIthoughtwasaninformedlecturesuretogaintheirrespect—perhaps theiradmiration.Iwentbacktomyofficewiththerosyglowwhichcamefromasenseofachievement.
Iaskedmystudentstokeep ashomework.HoweverasIreadthemtherosyglowwasgradually byastrongsenseofsadness.Thefirstdiarysaid“Ourliteratureteacherdidn’tteachusanythingtoday. hernextlecturewillbebetter.”GreatlysurprisedIreaddiaryafterdiaryeachexpressinga theme.“Didn’tIteachthemanything?IdescribedtheentirephilosophicalframeworkofWesternthoughtandlaidthehistorical foralltheworkswe’llstudyinclass”Icomplained.“How theysayIdidn’tteachthemanything?”
Itwasalongtermandit becameclearthatmyideasabout werenotthesameasthoseofmystudents.Ithoughtateacher’sjobwastoraise questionsandprovideenoughbackgroundsothatstudentscould theirownconclusions.Mystudentsthoughtateacher’sjobwastoprovide informationasdirectlyandclearlyaspossible.Whatadifference!
IbenefitedalotformyexperiencewithmyChinesestudentshasmademea Americanteacherknowinghowtoteachinadifferentculture.
1.A.England B.America C.China D.Australia
2.A.worry B.idea C.doubt D.skill
3.A.professionB.admiration C.explanation D.expression
4.A.attracted B.embarrassed C.amused D.shocked
5.A.puzzled B.sure C.worried D.curious
6.A.reminded B.returned C.regained D.recovered
7.A.moreB.even C.yet D.still
8.A.discussions
