Sometimes it is very difficult for me to know what impact I am having on my students and what they think of me as a teacher. Occasionally I ask for feedback on the lessons, usually by asking questions and getting verbal answers, but these answers tend to be cautious and limited. The other day I took a different approach. I asked a high school I teach to write an essay for homework called "Dion". A Grade 10 boy, Joe Chen, who I have been teaching for about four years wrote the following essay, which might give you some insight into me as a teacher!
"The first foreign teacher I met was Dion. He is also the best teacher that I have met.
"I liked the way he taught. He not only let me use the grammar in sentences, but taught us how to use it in life, not just to prepare for tests.
"He also taught history and geography about other countries. This extra service made us know more about how the words developed and why we spell like now.
"The biggest reason why he became my favorite teacher is that he is so funny. I don't know whether the word for him is good or not, but this is the best word for him.
"Every time the class begins he tries to let us enjoy the class. He is more patient with us. He tries to think of different ways to make the class happier.
"Sometimes we students don't know how to answer a question, to explain a new word or a difficult sentence. He waits for us to solve it by ourselves. At last, we really didn't know and then he tells us the answer with a little angry, but I am happy to have met him and become his student."
Do you think I could use this as a job reference?
14 December 2004
Dion Marc Delport