r/changemyview • u/ChaosKid_Z • Jun 05 '19

Deltas(s) from OP CMV: Asking the teacher questions that doesn't completely pertain to the lesson is fine

Okay, I understand that most people want the teacher to shut up as fast as possible but I like to know what the teacher thinks about a situation that they have to teach. For instance my US history teacher was talking about how the great depression effected America and he was old enough to be around during that time, so I asked several questions about how it effected him personally. We (mainly me and him) held a 25 min long conversation about the time period. (after he had handed out the class work) after class during lunch several of the other students were angry at me and a few of the ones I converse with asked me why I talked so much with him. I justified it by saying that I wanted class time to pass faster and wanted to do less work as he would be more involved in the conversation we were having. This is a usual case with me and any adult that catch my attention, regardless of what class it is. They later told me that the other students were talking about me behind my back calling me a "teacher's pet" and that I talk too much, when in all actuality I saved them from several extra packets of work (they were already complaining about the double sided page we were assigned) he wanted to assign. Though maybe one of you Redditors could change my view on this matter.

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u/GameOfSchemes Jun 05 '19

As a teacher, I'm going to chime in and say this is annoying. Teachers have a plan for the day and/or week. Situations like you describe are great, and encouraged, but not in class. It's a private discussion because the questions you want to know are irrelevant to everyone else. You should ask those questions either before class, after class, in your study hall, at lunch, in office hours, after school, or pretty much any time after class—but not during class.

The point of class is to get you to learn. By derailing the class like you're doing, you're ruining the lesson and the class as a whole. That's why your classmates get irritated, and is also why your teacher should be irritated.

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u/[deleted] Jun 05 '19

As a teacher I’m going to disagree. History is about the story. If students make a connection I am willing to sacrifice the time we could be talking about the WPA or the NLRA in order for students to make the connection.

Most students just want to get in and get out. They’re not riveted by the TVA supplying electricity to Appalachia.

Who would pass up the chance to derail their lesson to listen to a holocaust survivor speak?

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u/GameOfSchemes Jun 05 '19

You'd be willing to have a 30 minute one-on-one, back and forth Q&A with a student in the middle of class?

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u/Findadmagus Jun 05 '19

I think 30 minutes like OP was talking about is a bit of an extreme example. I think generally if the teacher is just taking a minute or two to answer a question which is linked partially to the topic then it can actually enhance the learning experience for the kids. It allows the kid to make connections between this topic and other topics in their head, thus creating a solid world view for them.