Chapter 5: Teaching to the individual, Working with the Group

In Chapter 5, Andres made a statement that I am sure a lot of students could relate to. "If you push too hard, the students will sometimes feel threatened and just shut down. Or if you manage to push the student without upsetting him, and then he doesn't do it to your satisfation, he might feel unworthy." (87) I have noticed that in some of my classes in the past, college and high school, teachers will be lecturing and then ask the students to discuss what he/she just explained to all of us. If you do not speak up or talk, in some cases, teachers will specifically choose that person that has yet to say anything. In my case, if I am not talking it is usually because I did not understand what the teacher was talking about and I am trying to listen to others talk about it so maybe I can understand easier. The experiences that I have had that relate to Andres' statement is when a teacher calls on you and asks you a question, you do not know the answer, and then the teacher, usually unintentionally, embarrasses you as the student by making you feel as if you do not understand what they are talking about because you do not know the answer by saying something like "someone needs to pay attention."