Life as a teacher for a few weeks

While J was away I started and finished teaching at the local nursing college. I was able to help out and teach some basic statistics to the students. I enjoyed the time I spent with them and also saw some of the challenges that many of them face. As a teacher I noticed that there was a wide variety of abilities in the class. Some students knew not only what I was teaching but also more advanced information that I had not taught while others struggled and had difficulty with basic math skills. Another issue was language skills. The students came from varying parts of the country and had different levels of English language skills.For some, their previous education was in Arabic and their English was limited, thus even though they were familiar with the content, they struggled to understand things due to the language barriers. I found much of what I taught was a balancing act of bringing the more complex content to them so all students understood while at the same time trying to keep it complex and interesting enough to keep those with advanced skills interested. I also found it interesting to learn some of the cultural differences in teaching styles and how the classroom works. The most interesting aspect of culture for me was when the students were dismissed. In Canada when the teacher tells us we are dismissed all the students make a mad dash for the door while the teacher stays behind to answer questions for those that still have questions. As a result I expected the 30 or so students I had been teaching to leave when class was done and I packed up my stuff. Nope.... Instead they all stayed sitting and watched me pack up my stuff and leave. That was a akward ending to my first class. It turns out that out here it is a sign of respect to sit and wait for the instructor to leave the room before the students leave. Any questions they have will wait until the instructor has returned to the office or if they find the instructor in the halls after class. Now I make sure most of my stuff is organized and packed up by the end of class so I don't take too long to make my exit. I also spend some time hanging and being available to students before heading back home.