12 September 2014 / by John Shepherd
Transmitting in the Classroom. What we can take from classical music.
Whether it be listening to a film director talking about his new blockbuster creation, or watching a protestor stand at Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park and tell us about what is wrong with the world, we are transfixed by the same common denominator, passion.
Used correctly, passion can transfix an audience, leave a crowd mesmerised and wanting to know more, even the most mundane topics can be brought to life by an injection of passion.
Transmitting in the classroom is therefore one of our biggest responsibilities. As Teachers we are passionate about the English language,we are passionate about people, we believe that our language provides the key to enable a brighter future for those we teach, therefore, we have to transmit it.
We always transmit. We transmit when we are passionate about something and when we detest it, when we are certain about something and when we are doubtful, when we are happy and enthusiastic and when we are tired and under the weather. As teachers we will always try to project the best of us to our students. Again, the more we understand our subject, the better we will transmit and the better we prepare, the more self-confident we will appear in front of our students.
Transmitting in the classroom should be an easy task, rather than keeping a lid on the energy and passion we have, our passion for the English language should be released into the classroom to be shared with our students. Our students have a shared interest in the English language, that's why they attend our classes, so if we can fuel this interest a student has in our language, with our passion to teach it, we will create a blossoming environment to learn.
Watch the video of Benjamin Zander on classical music above, for me, classical music is one of the most lifeless art forms, yet Zander illuminates classical music with his passion, creating an artistic masterpiece that I cannot take my eyes off. A perfect example of how transmitting can have such an influence.
Transmitting in the classroom is key to our success.