I experienced what it felt like to have someone explain something new to me last year when I was watching the Super Bowl. I have a limited knowledge of football but I’m willing to learn more. My Dad and brother told me I could ask questions as long as I asked during commercials. Fair enough.
I did fine for the first few minutes of the game but as the game progressed, the commercials were not nearly enough time to answer my questions which were becoming more detailed. Their answers became quicker and more technical. My level of understanding began to drop dramatically as they used more and more words that were familiar and comfortable for them but confusing and unfamiliar to me.
I remember actually beginning to feel sick to my stomach. Is this how our students feel when we inundate them with material they don’t understand? Do they feel overwhelmed? Frustrated? I did and I was in the safe environment of my brother’s home where there was no potential for embarrassment for not knowing, no worry about how knowing would affect my future.
When we teach our subject matter to our students we need to connect to what they currently know. Whether it’s material previously learned in our class or information from the world outside the school environment, our teaching and their learning must not occur in a vacuum.
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