Note To Self: Sitting In The Classroom As A Novice

This summer, I signed up for a computer coding workshop, which was being offered by colleagues at my university. I was a little hesitant, having come of age pre-internet, and not having programed anything in about 3 decades! But with the encouragement of colleagues, and feeling excited about exploring something totally out of my comfort zone, I showed up ready to learn and work hard.

The first day of the workshop was amazing---we were given ample time to learn the concepts and by the afternoon we were asking our own questions and analyzing data using the tools we had learned. It was exhilarating and empowering and I felt so excited that after the class was over I went home and continued my explorations, and I even emailed the instructor to share that with her!

A week later we had another workshop with a different instructor. It was a totally different experience.

I came to class with the same eagerness to learn, but what happened? The instructor did not give us time to "catch up"; if we were not on the same page, she plowed on full steam ahead even when it was clear that several students had no idea what was going on (myself included). She apologized and said that we "have to get through this material by lunchtime," when she asked for hands to show who was at a certain point she praised those students who 'got it' (which made me feel pretty dumb for not 'getting it') and continued on without paying any attention to those left behind.

At one point, I closed my laptop and just sat there, frustrated and feeling helpless because I felt so far behind.

That was my "aha" moment -- Oh my goodness, I thought, I wonder how many of my students might feel this way in my large lecture class?? Yikes ... I hope that they feel like they can speak up if they don't 'get it'? What if they don't?

This empathy just flooded me like a tidal wave, and I thought that if I learned nothing else this summer, the experience of these two instructors is all I need to remember when I re-enter my classroom this Fall, as a lecturer.

I think that every teacher needs to sit in a classroom in which they are not familiar with a subject in order to regain the feeling of being a novice learner and to become aware of what is helpful (time to learn at one's own pace, time to practice, time to apply what is learned to new situations, supportive environment) and what is not helpful (feeling rushed, feeling like everyone else gets it except for you, not having time to practice or apply what is learned) and to reflect on how to put this into practice.

It was a powerful reminder as both a student and a teacher.