Today I was reviewing their work with new students (Latin Ones) individually. After speaking with me, a girl returned to ask me a question. She is one of those kids eager to learn, very earnest. She wanted to know if we would be doing things like acting out stories and so on; she thought we might b/c of the way I teach.
Intrigued, I asked her what way that was. She struggled for words, then mentioned a teacher who only lectured, and, casting about for a description, said I was “interactive”. I thought that was a great word for engaging. Yes, I think when students are in the classroom, the teacher should engage with them. Lecturing is fine for some topics and for a limited time, esp if the lecturer is animated and….. well, engaging. Lecturing has received a bad name; some of my favorite classes involved lecturing. Nevertheless, esp. for language classes, it seems a poor way to inculcate the language into the learner.
Interactive. That’s me.