reflection on teaching-learning

[shibli]

Dear Yusuf sir
Yes we can collaborate to improve reflection on teaching-learning.

I can share some reasons with you. Maybe the aptitude and calibre of most of our students are very poor. Some teachers might find it difficult to motivate them continuously because most of the time the result is despairing. But teachers who often have to be overburdened with their responsibilities cannot be blamed solely. During office hours, we remain engaged with counseling students, checking piles of answer scripts, doing registration, conducting examinations, invigilating in examination halls, studying before going to classes, doing research work and so on. Some teachers are also involved with extra curricular activities for the development of the students’ mental faculties. In addition, some teachers have to work for the viva committee, exam committee and many other committees.

Finally, i would like to  tell you that the English teachers can't improve the students' aptitude and English skills only, which i have mentioned time and again. Each and every teacher of all departments should reflect on his or her teaching to give out the best to the students so that they can develop to their potentials.    

(We also have to note that very few teachers (only 5 to 10) are using this forum while the number of teachers at DIU is more than 120.)
    
Regards

[mir]

Dear Shibli Sir,

Thanks for pointing out some of the core issues. Regarding teachers participation in the forum... let's be optimistic. I know by this time, you are. I have noticed that more and more people are joining our forum. It is a positive sign. I hope soon you'll find a significant number of students, teachers  and officials more active in this forum. Specially I want to thank you put your continuous effort to make people involve here. Please keep it up.

Regards,

Masud I Rahman

[asma alam]

Dear Shibli Sir,

I agree with you. But the aim of this newly arranged workshop is to find out the possible solutions which will bring benefit for the students as well as the faculties and at the same time will ensure the effective teaching method. The points that you have raised are still being practised in the institutions. But my point is that the activities that are not appreciated by us why should we repeat them in our personal life? if a few of us start with new thought and new hope and remain steady in our mottto, then at one time others will also join us. So, let us start our new journey with new hope and aspiration.
Thanking you
Asma

[shibli]

I agree with you, Asma madam. I personally think training is essential because the aptitude and calibre of most of our students are very poor. We need to motivate them continuously though it might take a lot of time to get the results. Nevertheless, this is something we are for.

[ymislam]

Dear Shibli,

Thank you for your persistence and patience!

Reflection is of course for those interested. Getting into a 'rut' as you put it applies to other areas as well. I will quote an example from kitchen management. While cooking, you reach for the salt, but the salt pot is empty. So you send someone to the bazaar to get salt. Later on, you need oil, and you find to your amazement that there is no oil. You send out the person again for oil and so on. What is the kitchen management style? Cooking gets delayed while everyone is working hard. People shout when the cooked meal is delayed, yet everyone in the kitchen thinks they are working very hard and no one appreciates them.

Should the person managing the kitchen reflect? More to the point, does this person have time to reflect? However, if this person made the time to find out how much salt and oil were required during a week or a month and did the shopping accordingly, who would benefit? In addition to saving time and money the ultimate effort needed in the kitchen would be less and definitely there would be less running around. We would also be able to predict when the salt and oil will be most likely running out.

With our students, similarly, if we took stock of their quality, their learning habits and problems, their background, we may realise that only so much is possible. Our teaching plans would take into account their background and consequently we may have to set our targets and expectations lower. This way instead of learning nothing, they might actually learn something. We may find that as teachers ourselves, having achieved a little, we may then have a sense of achievement and may want to achieve more - a step at a time.

Whatever we do in life requires reflection, otherwise using your quote from Alice in Wonderland, if we don't know where we are going, any road will lead us there. To plot where we are going, we need to find out where we are first.

Those who don't reflect may ultimately be helped by those who do reflect and come up with better ways to live our lives.

-Yousuf

[shibli]

Dear Yousuf sir
Whenever i go through your writing, i find a kind of peace in it. I don't know why. Your writing is quite soothing and inspiring for me. Could you please share your childhood memories, your school & college life, your area of interests and reading habits and all those with us?

Please accept me as your disciple.

Regards

[ymislam]

Dear Shibli,

May Allah reward you for your appreciation!

Thank you for your interest in my upbringing. I don't know whether you would find anything different or inspiring about my childhood. If I look for pointers that might help understand what makes me tick, I find three things:

1. I feel that, like everyone else, Allah has given me huge potential and I want to exploit this to the fullest - both in myself and others.

2. To help me do this, I reflect on even the smallest of things - things that normally one misses. I look for lessons that Allah is teaching me in the smallest of things.

3. I love each moment that Allah has given and is giving me. I thank Him for both the good and the bad experiences of life - the sum total that makes me what I am today. If Allah offered me a chance to start my life from scratch again, tailor made as I would want it, I would not change a moment.

Contemplate on whether the three help understand my being - it is my essence in a nutshell. Fire me any questions, comments or reservations that you may have.

Best regards.

-Yousuf