So far, my time at IQRA can be
captured in one word: adjustment. This adjustment is both on my side and on the
students’ side. For me, adjusting meant getting accustomed to a new environment
(Senegal), a new school, and new students with different expectations about my
teaching, various learning styles and prior experiences with mathematics. For
the students, that meant being accustomed to a new teacher with a different
teaching style and expectations, and a new language of instruction for a few.
I must
admit that, although not seamless, this period of transition has been more or
less successful. Surely, my different classes have adapted at different pace; that
is understandable.
Here are two
concrete aspects that such adjustment has involved:
-
Homework almost every day. My students
know and have come to expect that a day without homework is the exception, not
the rule.
-
Emphasis on process as much as, if not more
than, result. While having correct final answers are nice, the ability to
articulate one’s thinking process and/or substantiate one’s answers with
reasons is ideal. In homework as well as in tests, students are expected to show their steps when solving problems.
Such emphasis aims ultimately at enabling students to become independent
learners aware of their own learning process.
The transition period has not been
without its toll on the self-confidence of students. Upon encountering
obstacles, some reminisce of the success of prior years; others fear failure
this year. Yet, as I have told many of them, the year is like a soccer game; the
score is not set until the final whistle. Achievements of years prior are also within
reach this year; I sincerely believe that. As a teacher, my goal is for the students
to understand and master the concepts we study, for them to succeed and to do
so with excellence.
