Page 23 - ADU Smart Learning Center Issue 1

23

Faculty Spotlight

Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
Accordingly, I always try to make classes fun, simple and engaging, with some activities such as presentations
in the Auditorium to leave lasting memories. Off-topic stories are occasionally shared during class to
maintain interest and give students a mental break from the task at hand. There may be several ways to do
this or that kind of writing, but I focus on understanding how to do the task one simple way in formats that
can be transferred to other kinds of writing. Students aren’t overwhelmed with materials and homework
and if they want to review powerpoint presentations alone or in groups, I guide them to where they can
access those on Blackboard. Personally, I start drifting off during powerpoint presentations, so I try to
avoid using these as central teaching tools during class.

Students in my English II classes sometimes get frustrated when
I try to stretch their creativity skills away from worn-out topics
such as “advantages and disadvantages of junk food” while my
Technical Communication for the Workplace classes sometimes
get fed up from my focusing so much on 100% accuracy on CVs
and cover letters and Wow! project topics. However, by the time
students submit video projects on Blackboard or give workshop
style presentations in front of other students, faculty and staff,
they have usually bonded with other group members and made
great memories that they will carry with them long after they leave
ADU. Seeing students shine and feel proud of their successes is
a fantastic buzz.

On the old campus, I remember one shy covered female student
being so excited about presenting her group’s project related to
composting. She had been petrified by the thought of formally
presenting in front of others, but the outdoors science fair –
style of presentation boosted her confidence in ways she couldn’t believe were possible for her. Had her
grammatical accuracy and fluency changed much by taking my course? Not a whole lot. Had her linguistic
awareness and personal confidence changed much? Definitely. What had seemed impossible for her
became possible, fun and meaningful. In fact, she said she was now looking forward to doing presentations
in her other classes because that psychological wall of fear had been breached.

As educators, we need to remember all the things that were going on in our lives when we ourselves were
students so that we can offer an empathetic ear and a helping hand to our own students. Towards the end
of my graduate school days, I was struggling to complete my final research project, which was on Diglossia
in the Arab World. Not only was my maternal grandfather getting ready to have a major operation that
I couldn’t be there for due to the project deadline, but also some issues led me to sleep in my Teaching
Assistant’s Office on campus for a period of time. Unfortunately, the professor overseeing my research
project was a very by-the-book kind of person who insisted I stick to the given deadline. She got her
pound of flesh, but the memories I carried afterwards were not the kind I ever wanted my own students to
experience.

Towards the end of 2022, a local male stopped me at Lulu Hypermarket. I didn’t recognize him, but he
called me by name and said he was a former ELI (English Language Institute) student of mine from around
2008. He said that although he had long forgotten most of what he studied at ADU, he fondly remembered
that my language classes were fun. For me, this was further evidence that it’s not necessarily what students
experience at an educational institution that’s important. It’s how they perceive what they experience that
makes all the difference. People don’t forget how we make them feel.

Abu Dhabi University | SMART Learning Center Newsletter Issue 1