Wow. I feel like a celebrity on the Ellen DeGeneres Show! *studio laughter*
Anyway, the question.
Will you honor us and explain what characteristics you possessed to admit your lack of understanding?
First off, Consider yourselves honored.
Secondly, I want to be completely honest and say that it was eighth period, I was tired, and possibly slightly irritated having just come out of a room full of rowdy drama kids. Hearing my AP classmates ooh and ah over a concept that hadn't connected so miraculously in my brain could just as easily have brought out more of an eye-rolling "I don't get it" rather than a yearning "explain that again."
But there is a very real intimidation about admitting your lack of knowledge, and there are lots of reasons, or should I say excuses, which I'm sure we have all heard within the confines of our own minds.
"It's not that important."
"I don't want to take up class-time."
"What if I'm the only one who doesn't understand?"
"Everyone will think I'm stupid."
Each of these excuses are just as hard to combat as the others. So how do we combat them? Actually, the answer I found most helpful was written on the first page in my AP Lit binder my entire senior year.
"Come to class not as know-it-alls, but as wanting to know it all."
~Mrs. Martinez
Surprise! This phrase came to mind often during my Senior year in many of my classes. I learned that year that school is not a place to show off your academic greatness, but a resource available to students to better their education and understanding on their academic journey. So why not use the opportunities given to you in school? You're sitting in a class full of brilliant students and teachers who understand and can explain a concept that may not come as easily to you! Why step into that room just to come out with a cloud of unasked questions?
There's another big reason for the times I had the courage to raise my hand in confusion, and that reason is Katie Cropper. Katie usually sat on the left side of the room, and I a little to the right, so I remember sharing many confused looks with her across the room when Mrs. Martinez or another student hinted at something neither of us understood. Just knowing that I wasn't the only one at a loss gave me enough reason to push any other excuses aside and seek an answer to the question. As we've all heard before, if you have a question, chances are someone else in the room is confused as well.
And yet, sometimes you will be the only confused one in the classroom, it happens. Not to mention the loads of questions I've asked that I've found to be simple and obvious, and probably resulted in my stupidity in the eyes of my peers. But if I hadn't asked those questions, I still would have been the worse off. It is the wise man who plant their questions and allow them to grow into something beautiful. The fools leave their questions to gather dust and be used only as bookends to the volumes of questions answered by the wise.
So get that hand in the air!
Anyway, the question.
Will you honor us and explain what characteristics you possessed to admit your lack of understanding?
First off, Consider yourselves honored.
Secondly, I want to be completely honest and say that it was eighth period, I was tired, and possibly slightly irritated having just come out of a room full of rowdy drama kids. Hearing my AP classmates ooh and ah over a concept that hadn't connected so miraculously in my brain could just as easily have brought out more of an eye-rolling "I don't get it" rather than a yearning "explain that again."
But there is a very real intimidation about admitting your lack of knowledge, and there are lots of reasons, or should I say excuses, which I'm sure we have all heard within the confines of our own minds.
"It's not that important."
"I don't want to take up class-time."
"What if I'm the only one who doesn't understand?"
"Everyone will think I'm stupid."
Each of these excuses are just as hard to combat as the others. So how do we combat them? Actually, the answer I found most helpful was written on the first page in my AP Lit binder my entire senior year.
"Come to class not as know-it-alls, but as wanting to know it all."
~Mrs. Martinez
Surprise! This phrase came to mind often during my Senior year in many of my classes. I learned that year that school is not a place to show off your academic greatness, but a resource available to students to better their education and understanding on their academic journey. So why not use the opportunities given to you in school? You're sitting in a class full of brilliant students and teachers who understand and can explain a concept that may not come as easily to you! Why step into that room just to come out with a cloud of unasked questions?
There's another big reason for the times I had the courage to raise my hand in confusion, and that reason is Katie Cropper. Katie usually sat on the left side of the room, and I a little to the right, so I remember sharing many confused looks with her across the room when Mrs. Martinez or another student hinted at something neither of us understood. Just knowing that I wasn't the only one at a loss gave me enough reason to push any other excuses aside and seek an answer to the question. As we've all heard before, if you have a question, chances are someone else in the room is confused as well.
And yet, sometimes you will be the only confused one in the classroom, it happens. Not to mention the loads of questions I've asked that I've found to be simple and obvious, and probably resulted in my stupidity in the eyes of my peers. But if I hadn't asked those questions, I still would have been the worse off. It is the wise man who plant their questions and allow them to grow into something beautiful. The fools leave their questions to gather dust and be used only as bookends to the volumes of questions answered by the wise.
So get that hand in the air!
This is great Emilyn.
ReplyDeleteI laughed because it brought back tons of memories and I DO remember you and Miss Katie giving each other the LOOK.
Thanks for writing up and analyzing your thoughts AND for your good example.
Having made your brave confession here you should read a validation of your position at http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/13/opinion/cohen-i-dont-know/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn Everyone should be a hand-raiser, but it is somewhat intimidating at times. And I must admit that I may have contributed to that intimidation somewhat while teaching my BYU chemistry classes. When a student asked a question I had just answered, I would patiently answer it again. But if another student then asked the same question again (this didn't happen often, but, believe it or not, it did happen a few times), I lost my patience and responded indelicately. I'm not totally sure I regret that, but perhaps I should.
ReplyDeleteFrequently in my 3D graphics class at BYU there was a student who would ask dumb questions. He did not seem afraid to ask it, and during the first of the semester I would think, "That's a dumb question with an obvious answer." As he and the professor discussed it, I realized that I did not understand it as well as I thought, and I was grateful that he had asked the question. Even though it seemed dumb at first, I began to realize that he understood the material better than I in a way that he knew what questions to ask. Later, I looked forward to his dumb questions. They still came out dumb. Maybe it was his looks. I have no idea. We're still friends today, btw.
ReplyDelete