From a lecturer’s perspective…

A lecturer’s world really fits my preference in a workplace…colleagues aren’t absorbed with self benefits and being calculative with money and personal glory, they actually put other people’s interest (in this case, students) above their personal needs. Well, at least most of them, to a certain extend, has such a concern

But also, almost every lecturer has his or her own style of lecturing…I noticed I hold several contrasting perspective from them:

- I admire students who speak up a lot in class, the class clown you may call, because i feel that such behaviors reflect confidence and effort in pondering questions that i raise. Voicing out reflects extra thinking and questioning rather than mindless absorbing of everything i say. However, some colleagues view these students as good-for-nothing, attention-seeking students who cause distraction and trouble among classmates

- i admire students who stay back after the class or make extra appointment to ask questions, who struggle with course content or language but keep taking the effort to clarify his/her confusion with lecturers. However, some colleagues view this as an annoyance because these students take up their extra time, which they need to spend on marking assignment or preparing for lecture

- i am a very liberal lecturer, i don’t punish students, and i rarely raise my voice in class. i treat them like adults, letting them make their own decisions and bearing their own consequences, so i don’t separate students who talk a lot, i don’t lock out students who are late, i don’t wake students who are sleeping in class. i only reprimand students who make too much noise to the point of distracting other students. Some may find this spoiling the kids and letting them step all over me. At some point, some students really do push my limits, but i still respect every individual’s rights to his or her dignity and his/her personal freedom to act as he/she likes. I don’t see any point in forcing them to listen and learn when their actions clearly signify that they have no interest in learning

- In the most hopeless case like students who don’t submit assignments, students who frequently skips class, students who disrespect the lecturer, i still hold a certain amount of hope in them to one day find their true potential, i still believe that there is goodness in their heart but they don’t know how to show it or they don’t even know they have it. It is problematic students like these that i am even more interested to help them find themselves. I know that many people gave up on them, which perpetuates their rebellious and misbehaviors, so they need someone’s confidence in them to feel that they’re worthy and capable of succeeding in life too

I really learn a lot about myself and my values in this short 6 months of work. I don’t know if i would put in Jon Sern’s term of ‘finding my calling” but this job is definitely one that i am passionate for =)