On Wednesday (1o/10/07) I observed an Introduction to Women’s Literature course taught by Dr. Janice Oaks. It was a wonderful class and Dr. Oaks reminded me a great deal of a professor I had in my Masters program. Her thoughtful and gentle guidance through class prompted many students to contribute to class discussion. Her class, held in the Funkhouser Building, had mostly young women and one young man. Out of (I’m guessing here) 25 students, more than half of them voiced their questions and thoughts. Those who didn’t talk appeared to be engaged and following the discussion.
When Dr. Oaks first walked in the classroom she was smiling ( a great, genuine, sunshiney smile) and seemed completely happy with what she was about to do. It was a memorable teaching moment. I know it’s not possible be happy and bouyant all the time, but a positive attitude goes far. For my Eng 104 class, which followed this observation, I purposely walked in smiling, really hoping a positive attitude would rub off on the students and it did. Class discussion went easier, students were more inclined to crack jokes, and they all readily particpated in a writing assignment.
At the beginning of Dr. Oaks’ class, the one young man in the room asked her, “How do you feel about our quizzes?” She replied, laughing, “Conflicted!” She could have said this in a much different tone, but throughout the class she maintained this easiness, this happy and nurturing attitude.
When discussion turned to the film “Eve’s Bayou” all of the chatter and whispers that had been going on during the “class business” talk stopped and students dutifully took out their notebooks and wrote down points that Dr. Oaks, along with students in class, made. Dr. Oaks opened the class discussion with a quote from the film then asked an open-ended question all students could relate to: “What to we know about memory?” This brought on many responses and to each response she either reiterated what the student said, or commentd on the remark–showing that she’s not only listening to what the students think, but attempting to connect their thoughts to the film and broader issues.
When Dr. Oaks made her own points she did so by giving the students specific examples drawn from the film. She never rushed her points, they were thoughtful and presented in a clear manner. She never used notes, but instead walked back and forth, before the class, showing her own learning process. It seemed an organic kind of teaching. At one point the discussion broached the topic of the ”unreliable narrator” in fiction and film and she compared “Eve’s Bayou” to “Jane Eyre”–with a logical explanation of how both have young women giving thoughts that seem too mature for 10 year olds. The class really responded well to this comparison. Andrew, the only young man in the class, then asked her a question and she bounced it right back to the class, “What do you all think about Andrew’s question, would anyone like to take it up?” And sure enough, someone did. A professor during our TA orientation ( I forgot his name, ahh!) recommended that teachers direct controversial questions back to the class so that students take up the issue, rather than the teacher. I’m not sure Dr. Oaks wanted to avoid the question, but this deflection seemed to work.
Throughout the class, Dr. Oaks gave positive feedback to the students. She would nod her head while listening to students, really quite focused on what they said, if she liked what a student said she would say she found it interesting. She also would give praise to the entire class. I wrote down these two compliments: “You all are doing great with this.” and “You all watch film well!” This kind of encouragement worked. And it’s something I try to do in my own classroom.
I really enjoyed this observation and learned several lessons from it:
1. A positive attitude helps lighten the classroom and encourages student involvement
2. Give praise where praise is due
3. Stick to the text. Provide specific examples from the text to illustrate/back up points in discussion
4. Begin discussion with an open-ended question.
5. Listen, Listen, Listen. It’s important to really understand what the students are saying and make sure they know that you’re listening.
