Drama in the classroom-Viney Kirpal
The best teachers use effective drama techniques to recreate the magic of a concept and leave telling to the books : Generations of students remember two professors from Pune for their teaching. Both are gone, but students have commemorated them and their teaching styles.
Hoshang Moogat used to teach Math at Nowrosjee Wadia College in 1964. Though young, he commanded attention and taught his students the subject he was a master of, with passion and enthusiasm. He sang formulae while writing them on the board to enable easy recall. The students sang in a chorus. His explanations were simple. He introduced permutations and combinations using the example of pairs of socks, kerchiefs, and shirts arranged in a drawer.
The other professor was the Head of the English Department at what was then called Poona University. Prof. S. Nagarajan had a formidable reputation as a researcher and teacher. He had a Ph.D. from Harvard. His most memorable classes were his reading of Shakespeare’s King Lear. He read the heartbreaking scene of Cordelia’s death, pouring his heart and soul into it as if it was his story. He would modulate his voice like a Shakespearean actor, whispering and whimpering, as if he were the grief-stricken 88-year-old mad king, carrying the body of his beloved daughter, tottering over the heath, raging wildly against human nature.
Professor Moogat and Professor Nagarajan taught, motivated, engaged and inspired their students to study their subjects. One was a comic genius and the other, a giant among scholars.
Making a difference
Both teachers came to mind during my first workshop on effective teaching for Computer Science professors from across the country. The coordinator, a senior professor at IIT-Bombay, received a complaint that I expected teachers to become actors. I invited him to join the next session, where I asked, “Who said you are not actors as teachers? We are all actors who have to make our students experience a subject, not just teach it. Do you think your students like your class when you wear deadpan faces, playing the part of teachers, meaning someone superior?”
They got my point when I showed them the difference between teaching through class-friendly body language, and without body movement.
“Positive body language in a classroom setting has the ability to motivate, inspire and engage,” says Brittany Williamson in her article, The importance of body language in teaching’. “It can not only give you the confidence you need to teach but can also reassure your students that you actually know what you’re talking about.”
When a teacher uses body language effectively, students feel safe and eager to take part in the lessons. Teachers need to shed the fear that students will not respect them if they are dramatic in the classroom. Actually, they become more effective. Why? Because, they recreate the magic of the concept and leave the telling to the books.
Effective steps
Simple changes in using body language can help teach a subject in a lively manner. Here are a few suggestions:
Make eye contact: Look at the students one by one, with a small smile, and converse with them about the subject and watch them understand it.
Stand upright: Don’t slump or stand against the wall or table. A good posture makes you look confident and alert.
Make gestures: Gesture with your hands periodically, as we do in real-life situations, for, they can lend extra meaning to a word when you use it.
Voice modulation: Use your voice to emphasise certain expressions so that the meaning is communicated. It is surprising how students associate a concept with a well-modulated voice.
Enunciate: Do not mumble, speak too fast or slow. Students might miss some words if you speak fast, or fall asleep if you speak too slowly.
Can dramatic teachers complete their syllabus? Yes, ours did. Any teacher can, if they teach the most important concepts and inspire the students to read the rest on their own. Students love the challenge and respect you for having trusted them.
[ The writer is a former professor of English, IIT-Bombay. ceogiit@gmail.com]-(FROM THE HINDU)
No comments:
Post a Comment