Being asked for input makes a person feel valued.
And being able to see the results of the input contributes tremendously to that feeling.
When I was in Secondary 2, one of my seniors was writing an article for a magazine targeted at teenagers.
He was tasked to visit and write a review about an unusual restaurant that served fried scorpions, ants, and the like. As I understood it, the concept was grounded in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Because he was coming up with questions to ask the owner, he asked if I might be able to come up with one.
I gave him the first question that came to my mind - "Where did the supplies of scorpions and other exotic ingredients come from?"
He said that it was a good question and, if I recall correctly, I saw the question and answer in the published article a couple of months later.
It wasn't some huge accomplishment on my part, but I felt that I had contributed in some small way, and I felt valued because my senior could easily have left it out or not bothered to ask me to begin with.
In part because of this, I frequently ask my students for their thoughts on how to improve their learning experience. If I can, I implement it as soon as possible, so that they can see that their suggestions do make a difference.
Finding Key Result Areas (From The Introvert Teacher)
As teachers, we not only want our learners to come away with new knowledge and skills but we also want to be a positive influence in their lives. We want to make an impact on them.
What, then, is the skill set we need in order to make the largest impact? Also, how do we perform these skills with excellence?
You may not have the skill set yet, or your skills could be at a low level of competency. Hence, development of the skill set is as important as identifying it.
How do we get this going? Let’s find out:
1) Write a list of the things you do in your work on a day-to-day basis.
You should do this for a fair period of time – two to three weeks at least.
For example, I research my topic and produce presentation slides for my sessions, procure useful videos, prepare for my session mentally and logistically, travel to my destination of teaching, start the lesson, go through my presentation, conduct activities, check for learning and evaluate my lesson.
What about you?
2) Answer this question for each of the listed things: ‘Why am I doing this?’
This boils down to your personal motivation for your tasks. If you cannot find a good reason for doing them, either discard them or delegate them to someone who is better at doing them.
3) Answer this question next: ‘What is a better or more efficient way to do this?’
Once you’ve come up with something, can you do it that way? Sometimes, we are encumbered by red tape and other obligations. It isn’t always possible to do things in the most efficient manner, but if you can, by any means, then do so.
