In Appreciation of a Teacher
Since I have started learning Korean language I have been on and off which is slowing my pace in such an annoying manner. But again my Japanese and Kanji (Hanja) study have done me great in creating a firm basis to refer to whenever I proceed with my Korean. (I will write in a different post about the relation between Korean and Japanese, and the convenience of learning one and proceeding to the other.)
One great step I think I have taken in my Korean study was that I decided to take online classes, and yes it was awesome and very convenient. But I have to admit that it's never like a traditional class in terms of commitment.
The site I am using is 'italki' (Link: https://www.italki.com), and there you can find both professional teachers and community tutors. Both have their own good and bad points that vary depending on your needs. You can still filter your specifications in terms of the tutor's availability, hourly rate, native or not, etc.
Here I will be reviewing the one teacher who is teaching me Korean. I would mark her as 'the passionate teacher', who really surprised me for the kind of care and passion she pours into her class. My time with her usually exceeds the scheduled lesson by about 10 minutes, which I find really great about her, not because I ask for free few minutes, but because she is keen on delivering the full message of her lesson regardless of the time spent. She might not be the best teacher you’d ask for, but she has her own materials and style of tutoring, and when she finishes she asks me if I have questions regarding ‘her lesson’, then questions I have from my studies of Hanja and my own Korean textbook, which actually takes quite a time that is unofficial to the site and uncalculated to be paid for.
In business context, it’s called ‘Customer Retention’, in this case I am the customer.
I feel special about this kind of act because I do it as well with my students, as in one course my students had to give in for the 30 minutes extra after each class. Some would see it as the teacher's passion or generosity, but others would see it as inconvenient unscheduled extra time. Note that I am not trying to categorize who's good or bad among teachers or students, but this is merely my own point of view which you can simply take in and think about, or just read through and go on with your life.
I would love to hear from you what you like about a teacher, and what you appreciate and do not appreciate in the teacher's way of teaching.
Hello Ranya!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you that passion is what makes dedicated and committed teachers. Passionate teachers are a great source of inspiration for they students. Teaching is not just about imparting knowledge, but it can also be used to inspire students to make a change not only in their lives but also in the wide world. It is also important to maintain good relationships with students and treat them all as valued individuals.
As a former student and current teacher, I've noticed that praising students either for their good behavior or for giving correct answers can help keep them motivated. One more thing I would like to add is that students really appreciate it when their teachers help them learn from their mistakes. Sometimes I thank my students for making mistakes because I can use them to explain why something is correct or wrong, and this motivates my students to participate even if they don't know the answer.
Good luck with your Korean classes.