The Philosophy of Teaching

Ok for those who might be thinking otherwise, this is not a serious blog. It's a time-tested thing, I can't write serious blogs. However in this post I do try to muse over the philosophy of teaching. Also those whose minds waver to the fact that this is my second post in 3 days, I am not trying to improve the statistics of my blog, albeit just narrating a simple event. Also those afflicted with the 'Mexican jumping jelly-bean syndrome' should look around for a cure and kill their curiosity.

So lets take an insight into the lectures today, Many of you will be familiar with Lectures 1 & 2, as that is what typically happens in a class, however the incidents narrated in Lecture 3 are currently one of my personal best as what might happen otherwise.

Lecture 1
The class had barely started when I was told to go to front seat. Well I wasn't planning on studying in this particular lecture, but the first seat comes with its own charm. I wished farewell to the proxy i was supposed to make.

Lecture 2
Ok the professor here is nice and old and funny. And I think the only prof who might know my first name. But then again I am not sure.

Lecture 3
This is the astounding one, 20 minutes into the class here's the conversation taking place,

Me: Stupid question, We just need to find 3.14/16.
Friend: (Turning to last page of his notebook, writes down 3.14/4)
Me: The answer is 3.14/16
Friend: I will divide it again by 4. Makes it simpler this way.
Me (Smiling softly to myself): Ah!

Now I am not sure what short-cuts Vedic mathematics has invented, but i had my doubts on this one. Anyways I decided to stick to 3.14/16 and had just started calculating it on the last page of my note-book as well.

Professor (Small Guy, never knew when he came right by us): What are you doing?
Me (This time sure I wasn't in trouble): Sir, the question.
Professor: Why have you not written down anything?
Me (Turning the pages around to show him my not-so-neat answer) : Sir here it is.
Professor: No, what were you doing earlier?
Me: Sir i am doing rough calculations on the last page, I have written down the answer (for a change)
Professor: No, you were not doing anything. You were not interested....... (continues for 2 minutes).... Get out of the class.

Ok, I am not a model student, I generally don't make registers, let alone notes, never carry a pen and never listen in class. However at the time of doomsday(read Papers), I just run along to some hardworking friends of mine who have been studying the whole semester, and mug-up all the stuff (I call it stuff, not knowledge).

However by now i have learnt not to argue with the profs., and to be honest I had no intention of attending his class, except for the forsaken attendance rule. All I wanted was half an attendance for the half an hour i had spent there by now. However I decided not to mention this very logical fact, and prepared to get out as requested.

Professor: What are you doing?

Ok, now this was weird, i was pretty sure that we just had this conversation, and I was getting out, so what exactly was the problem?

Friend (Already knowing full well where this conversation was going to end): Sir, the question.
Professor: Why have you not written down anything?
Friend (Turning the pages around to show him a very-neat answer) : Sir here it is.
Professor: No, what were you doing earlier?
Friend: Sir i am doing rough calculations on the last page, I have written down the answer.
Professor: No, you were also not doing anything. You were not interested....... (continues for 2 minutes).... Get out of the class as well.

Ok there was no argument left. We were just being thrown out of the class for calculating 3.14/16 by two different methods. However, there are certain moments of time where prudence should prevail, however this was not one of them. Fully understanding the brilliance of the situation, we were trying to make our way to the exit, trying our best not to laugh. However, the door was close.... only half an hour had been wasted.... the situation wasn't that bad.

Professor (to me): You are always very disinterested.
Me (Turning Around): (Silent)
Professor: You should drop the course if you don't want to study.
Me (Biting Lip, Trying not to laugh): (Still Silent)

Ok heres where things could have gone worse, my friend had started sniggering. However, to rectify the situation I replied with a pertinent 'Sorry Sir', and exited immediately, stage right. My friend used his good sense and immediately followed. However once outside the profs audible range (10 meters), we released our self restraint, and laughed our heads off. It was a pleasant journey back to Jawahar, where we recommenced the days schedule by going to the mess.

Now one might ask, where does the philosophy of teaching come in to the whole account. Well, I kind of forgot the title till now, but mostly what I wanted to say was that although learning is free, I haven't gotten much of it yet. Now I have been blaming the system for about 7 years and 3 months now. But as another kind and old prof said that day, the system is not the best but it is also not as bad as we might think it to be.

There are plenty of professors out there (especially wandering inside the E&C Deptt.) who have no idea how to teach their students, and some have no idea about their own subject, and some have no idea at all. But I guess the same could be said about the students as well. I guess the prof. was irked by something i did earlier, rather than the 3.14/16. However perhaps this is a good time for me to reconsider, my stance on the system, and to maybe try and not to use it as a shield so often.

I guess thats about it, but I still haven't said much about the philosophy of teaching, have I? Well probably another time then.