I suppose I have some opinions of what should happen in a class whether it be an English class, a linguistics class, a foreign language class, or a Bible class. Here's the list: start with a premise or principle, capsule the direction of the next # of minutes, put in place the ideas that form the direction, back up the ideas with experience or research or facts, elaborate on the ideas with stories (anecdotal data) or experimental data to match. If conjecture is made, then know where the areas of the conjecture are weak and allow for some debate since the conjecture is not completely fleshed out.
A month ago I was invited to go to a class because "it allowed for discussion, and it contained ideas that were not orthodox." The person who invited me is a good friend and really believed I would enjoy it. So, I went. Nearly everything that happened in the class did not fit the list created above. Naturally, I felt that it had been a waste of time. But out of deference to my friend, I went a second time. This time it was worse.
Anyone can moderate a class if all the person does is spew one notion after another. We all have notions, sometimes well founded, sometimes ill founded. Name a subject, people have opinions or notions. But, if I go to a "class," I have this expectation that it should be for learning, not for listening to someone spew notions. I won't go back. This class is not for learning. As good a listener as I want to be for others, the circumstance for my listening is not going to be in a "class" in which learning should take place.
I realize that others have different ideas of what a "class" should entail. So, I will let the experience of the last couple of classes fall under that category - a difference in definition of terms. The "teacher's" definition for a "class" was just different from mine. His list of characteristics would not match the list I gave in the first paragraph at all. I'll just chalk it up to a misjudgment on my part for choosing to attend. But it sure leaves a bad taste in the mouth. That's what mouthwash is for.
A month ago I was invited to go to a class because "it allowed for discussion, and it contained ideas that were not orthodox." The person who invited me is a good friend and really believed I would enjoy it. So, I went. Nearly everything that happened in the class did not fit the list created above. Naturally, I felt that it had been a waste of time. But out of deference to my friend, I went a second time. This time it was worse.
Anyone can moderate a class if all the person does is spew one notion after another. We all have notions, sometimes well founded, sometimes ill founded. Name a subject, people have opinions or notions. But, if I go to a "class," I have this expectation that it should be for learning, not for listening to someone spew notions. I won't go back. This class is not for learning. As good a listener as I want to be for others, the circumstance for my listening is not going to be in a "class" in which learning should take place.
I realize that others have different ideas of what a "class" should entail. So, I will let the experience of the last couple of classes fall under that category - a difference in definition of terms. The "teacher's" definition for a "class" was just different from mine. His list of characteristics would not match the list I gave in the first paragraph at all. I'll just chalk it up to a misjudgment on my part for choosing to attend. But it sure leaves a bad taste in the mouth. That's what mouthwash is for.
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