I think most people have met a great teacher in their life at least once. Growing up in South Korea, I experienced so many teachers, who were very good at teaching by infusion training. They were well-acquainted with the curriculum and had excellent communication skills. Infusion training was the most common teaching skill at the time to prepare for tests. It seemed necessary to motivate students to participate. However, even though it was encouraged by teachers, although not entirely voluntarily, there was a time for sharing opinions and presentations in front of classmates. I think it is a very good way of teaching to make the students participate in the class. Also, when we say, “good teaching” or “good teacher,” that means the person who is teaching manages their time efficiently within a given time. Absolutely, my teachers did very well in terms of time efficiency because they needed to teach all the contents before the test. So, the three facts that I have come to organize through my childhood education are that teachers should deliver the content of the curriculum well, they need to encourage students to participate in the class, and they should be able to use their time efficiently. One teacher who demonstrates all of these qualities is Lori Chinitz, a professor in the English Language Programs at Penn because of her effectiveness in delivering learning content, clarity in communicating with her students, and efficiency in the use of classroom time.
"[Lori Chinitz] could concentrate people's attention so I could participate in class joyfully without any boredom and without a break for an hour and 40 minutes."
Most of the time during classes last session, she was always prepared for what she taught. When people are teaching different languages to foreign students, the most important thing is how to describe a concept well at a level the students can understand. It is also important how well can they make the students think. In both ways, every time she taught something, she used some videos and articles, and it worked pretty well. It is not just because she used the materials, but because she got a full grasp of the curriculum and the level of the students. Also, she could concentrate people's attention so I could participate in class joyfully without any boredom and without a break for an hour and 40 minutes. In addition, she helped students by giving them proper assignments so that they could learn on their own. I think that giving the right assignment is also an important factor for delivering learning content.
In addition, she always showed an interest in her students. She often invited students to stay after class in turn so that she could listen to what they said individually. It was not only for the class, but also meant that she really cared about her students, and it was another way to connect with her students. She always tried to listen to her students and wondered how the students reacted to her teaching. Above all, she encouraged all students to participate in classes, trying to ensure that the opportunity to speak for everyone was evenly distributed.
Lastly, she was able to manage her time efficiently. In particular, she had no parts that were not covered in all areas of English, such as listening, speaking, writing, grammar, and vocabulary. In order to teach all this, the time distribution needed to be accurate so that it could be handled properly every hour. Even chatting with the students went well, neither too long nor too short. She clearly knew when and what and how it should be handled, which is perhaps a demonstration of her time, which she has been constantly striving and researching.
In the end, these traits of her teaching, which are delivering of the curriculum well, communicating well, and managing time well, led me to re-enroll in this program again, and have high expectations for the school. Also, someday when I have a chance to teach students again, I would like to be a teacher like her who is proficient in her teaching, always interested in her students, and uses time efficiently. Finally, I want to finish this article by expressing my gratitude to her. “You were really the best teacher for me. I appreciate it.”
