What will you do if a student asks you a word or concept that you don’t know?(4)
Sometiems my students ask me a word or concept that I don't know. It is embarrassing me. But I say to my students, " I don't know. I will tell you later."
At first it was really embarrasing for me not to know the answers for the questions students asked. But as time went by, I came to think that it is not that big a deal not to have perfect answers to all the questions because I am not a native speaker. So when my student brought me a question I don't know, I would tell them to give me a time to think it over. Then most of my students said yes and came back later.
I think everybody has a same answer. Like you and Maria, I tell them to come back later. But, I'm a middle school teacher, so it rarely happens. I guess high school teachers might confront that situation more often. I think we cannot be perfect and we should not teach English with 100% conviction. We have to admit we are non native speakers and even native speakers sometimes are not sure about their language.
Usually I bring my laptop computer to the classroom. So when my student asks me something that I don't know or I don't remember, I said to them, "I don't remember it right now. Let's look up in the dictionary." And then using '한컴사전', I find the answer and tell him or her. ^^
I think we have almost the same answer. I say, "Can I get back later?- this expression from Summer's class ^^ and then i tell the answer. sometimes if i have a laptop,it's allowed to use when they don't know words or meaings words...
It makes me really embarrased even now. I had given students it as their homework at the first time when I became a teacher. But these days I don't. I say to them honestly "I can't know every words' meanings. I'm not sure about the meaning" I try to look it up using the Internet with my students. I think they understand it.
At first I wasn't honest with students. But thesedays I want to be honest. Because I don't know everything about even Korean, there are so many things that I don't know. I'm not a native English speaker. I think students can understand me.
I usually say that I don't know then I'll let you know sooner or later. I never worry about that because I told my students in the first period that I'm not a native speaker, so they don't say anything.
Hi Tranio, This is a great question. I think that most of the answers are wonderful examples of dealing with the problem. The future of education is going to have students learning how to answer their own questions while teachers teach them how to find the answers rather than giving them the answers.
hi, my brother. You make me feel comfortable. thank you tranio. i experienced that sometime. at first, i tell them to think of it over and over, and try to find it. during they do that, i look for the right answer. Or, I say frankly that i don't know the answer and promise them i will tell them later.
9 comments:
At first it was really embarrasing for me not to know the answers for the questions students asked. But as time went by, I came to think that it is not that big a deal not to have perfect answers to all the questions because I am not a native speaker. So when my student brought me a question I don't know, I would tell them to give me a time to think it over. Then most of my students said yes and came back later.
I think everybody has a same answer. Like you and Maria, I tell them to come back later. But, I'm a middle school teacher, so it rarely happens. I guess high school teachers might confront that situation more often. I think we cannot be perfect and we should not teach English with 100% conviction. We have to admit we are non native speakers and even native speakers sometimes are not sure about their language.
Hi, tranio~~~
Usually I bring my laptop computer to the classroom. So when my student asks me something that I don't know or I don't remember, I said to them, "I don't remember it right now. Let's look up in the dictionary." And then using '한컴사전', I find the answer and tell him or her. ^^
I think we have almost the same answer. I say, "Can I get back later?- this expression from Summer's class ^^
and then i tell the answer.
sometimes if i have a laptop,it's allowed to use when they don't know words or meaings words...
but it's still embarrasing
It makes me really embarrased even now. I had given students it as their homework at the first time when I became a teacher. But these days I don't. I say to them honestly "I can't know every words' meanings. I'm not sure about the meaning" I try to look it up using the Internet with my students. I think they understand it.
Hey, Tranio!
At first I wasn't honest with students. But thesedays I want to be honest. Because I don't know everything about even Korean, there are so many things that I don't know. I'm not a native English speaker. I think students can understand me.
I usually say that I don't know then I'll let you know sooner or later. I never worry about that because I told my students in the first period that I'm not a native speaker, so they don't say anything.
Hi Tranio,
This is a great question. I think that most of the answers are wonderful examples of dealing with the problem. The future of education is going to have students learning how to answer their own questions while teachers teach them how to find the answers rather than giving them the answers.
hi, my brother.
You make me feel comfortable. thank you tranio.
i experienced that sometime.
at first, i tell them to think of it over and over, and try to find it. during they do that, i look for the right answer.
Or, I say frankly that i don't know the answer and promise them i will tell them later.
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