Welcome to Spotlight Advanced. I'm Cullin Luther and I'm Liz Wade. Spotlight uses
a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no
matter where in the world they live. Imagine you were in school. Picture
the students sitting in their seats, and think of the teacher standing at the
front of the room. How are you feeling in this moment? Are you
excited to learn? Interested? Are you participating in discussion? Or are you
bored? Maybe you are falling asleep, watching the clock, or flirting with
a classmate. Your thoughts say a lot about to you as a student,
but they also say a lot about your teacher. Being a teacher is very
important. Teachers can be parents, professors, or even friends. But teaching
is also very difficult. Each person learns differently. Some people learn better by
seeing, others learn better by reading, some learn better by hearing, and
still others learn best by doing. Some methods of teaching work best for certain
subjects. Teachers must know how to best teach each different student. Have you
ever tried to teach someone today? As Spotlight is on how to be a
good teacher. One of the most important parts of Being a good teacher is
understanding how people remember things. People naturally remember things that are interesting to them.
Interesting facts are easy to memorize, but information that can be used directly
in someone's life is even better. Imagine a history class. It is very
difficult to learn the names of famous people who lived long ago. Events dates
are difficult to remember. But if you were learning the history of another country
where you were going to move, things might be different. It might be
very important that you know the information. People also learn better when they can
connect the subject to something they already know. Imagine teaching some one to repair
a car. If they have no experience with machines, it could be very
difficult, but if they had worked on engines before, it would be easier.
This is true of all subjects, whether it is language, art,
or mathematics. We remember things that are useful to us, and if we
do not have context, our minds will not recognize information. This is even
true if you believe what you are learning is important. It might be very
important to repair your car engine, but if you do not know the parts
of an engine and what they do, you will not be able to learn.
A good teacher will help connect new information to something you already understand,
or they will give you a wider base of knowledge to understand. Another important
part of teaching is learning to understand and care about your students. This means
learning who they are. Not all students are the same, and some are
going through things you do not know about. Suzanne Tingley is a teacher.
She wrote on the blog Hey Teach. A friend of mine teaches at a
high school where forty four languages are spoken. She told me she heard a
student say, I am really tired last night. I slept next to someone
who snored. Kids may be dealing with issues we know nothing about. Do
not assume video games are to blame when work is not complete. A good
teacher also knows their subject very well, and they know how students think about
it. Teachers must be able to correct students when they are wrong. A
good teacher provides constructive criticism. Often, constructive criticism corrects students' mistakes. It
gives them ideas for how to improve. Many people do not like to criticize.
Criticizing may seem rude. Criticism can lead to shame and bad feelings when
it is not planned out. But teachers must learn how to criticize in a
way that is helpful. Brooke Chaplain is a writer at The Advocate. She
explains how to criticize correctly. Constructive criticism is something that should always be shared
in private. Begin by telling this student the good things you see about him
or her. This will get you started in a good way. Then tell
them what you think is delaying their progress. Then tell them how they can
make a positive change. After, remind them that you believe in them as
an individual. If you share your concerns in the right way, it is
possible that the student will do what you suggested. Finally, it is important
to let your students be creative. They should not be afraid to ask their
own questions. Much teaching in the past treated children as listeners only. Teachers
gave students knowledge and students accepted it. If a student could not learn,
teachers decided the student was not intelligent enough. But today we know that learning
works differently. Students learn best when they believe they have the power to ask
and explore. Sometimes it is even good when they get things wrong. Imagine
a mathematics class. The teacher shows you a problem, and then she shows
you how to solve the problem. You memorize the formula and will use it
later on tests. Then you will forget it. But what if instead your
teacher asks you how you would solve the problem. You might not know the
correct formula, but you can guess and work it out yourself. You think
about the problem for several minutes. When you finish, your answer might be
incorrect, and your teacher will finally tell you the answer. But while you
are working on the problem, your attitude changes. The question becomes a puzzle.
Now you want to know the answer to this puzzle. You care about
the answer, and you have learned to think on your own today, most
good teachers know to change their lessons to fit their students. They learn about
and care about their students. They know that learning is not about remembering everything
you hear, but more than anything, they know they are not just teaching
their subjects. They teach their students how to learn, and they teach them
how to think for themselves. People who know how to think and learn will
continue to grow, They can change more quickly and required to, and they
will live fuller lives. Who was your favorite teacher? Why do you think
they were so good? Are you a good teacher? You can leave a
comment on our website at www dot Spotlight English dot com. You can also
find us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The writer of this
program was Dan Chrisman. The producer was Micio Ozaki. The voices you heard
were from the United Kingdom and the United States. All quotes were adapted for
this program and voiced by Spotlight. This program is called How to Be a
Good Teacher. Visit our website to download our free official app for Android and
Apple devices. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye,