All Teaching Decisions Are Mine

All Teaching Decisions Are Mine


There was a “phrase” I have heard from my teachers many times: “You are going to do it this way because I say so.” On those times, there was no chance to say ordo the opposite, and if anyone dare to ask why? That ended with a long speech about respect and about how teachers knew everything.
As students, we wanted to kill the one who asked: why? But,at the same time, we thought if there was not any possibility for a teacher to be wrong , at least once; or if there existed a different way to give a class in which we could feel part of byparticipating, not only sitting and listening as if we were robots.
I am a teacher now, and I have felt like repeating the same “phrase” a couple of times but there was something inside of me that stoppedthis feeling. I thought it was the little girl inside of me , that always wanted to listen to a rational explanation instead of that “phrase” and who wanted to have a funny class. Now, I know that itwas me, the teacher, who wanted to have classes with a lot of participation from students. A person who knew that not answering their why, or using the “phrase” will stop any further attempt toparticipate.
I would say that even though teaching decisions I my class are mine, there are some aspects that influence them in addition to my objectives. Objectives are, of course, one of the aspectstaken into consideration. I have to establish goals in order to plan my actions to achieve them. But, I thank this has happened to all of us: I can not remember how many times I have spent a whole day,or eve two, designing and planning step by step a creative lesson with great activities and when I am I the classroom, something unexpected happens and my creative lesson is interrupted for a while.Then, I have to decide which of my great activities could be missed without affecting the achievement of my goals.
Students are, without any doubt, the reason of our work. Sometimes, while...