Empathy in Teaching

My job is to help the ones that are struggling the most.

And you the ones among you that are doing well, you should see yourselves not just as good students, you should pick up the qualities of good teaching. And the first quality of good teaching is empathy for your students, meaning you learn to, you need to feel how they feel, to be able to help them you if you don't develop that, you can give a lecture, you can hear some people call out the answer, you'll feel good about yourself, because five people kept calling out the answer. And you know, this becomes an institutional problem to the point where you'll have a school where most students are struggling, but two kids are doing really well. And at the graduation ceremony, who are they showing

as their product, the two students that are doing really well put them on stage, put them before the world and all the other 98% of the kids are feeling worthless. And also, you're actually lying to the public about your product. That's not your product, your best students are not your product. Actually, to me, your worst students are not your product. And your best students are not your product, you know what your actual product is? The vast middle, the middle is a large gap. Now some students don't put in the work. So they stay on the bottom. Some students struggle extra hard, Allah made some things extra hard for them. They're not a market, they're not a reflection of the success

of a program. Some students are exceptionally good, or they have background, they are also not proof that the program is any good. Where does the proof lie?

In the middle? How do you take people that are in the middle? And how are you making sure the most of them are actually getting it and making progress, you understand that the other advice I have for you as students, one thing that will ruin your learning journey, it will ruin it before it even begins, is if you compare yourself.

And if you know we are in a social gathering, there are few 100 people sitting here. social gatherings come with social psychology, you know what that means? You're aware that you're not alone. So if I pick on you, you're subconsciously Your thought is, what are our other people going to look at me? Is this going to be on camera? Is this going to be recorded? Well, how are people seeing me? What if I get the answer wrong? What if I get embarrassed? All of this has nothing to do with learning. It has to do with your place in society, you understand? So you come into the classroom, trying to preserve your dignity as a member of society. Listen, let your status leave it

at the door. Leave it out the door, you come here to learn. When you come to learn, there is no embarrassment, none. You can make the worst mistakes, make them over and over again. You don't care. Why? Because you didn't come here to prove anything to anyone not even to me. You came here for one purpose only what is what, which is what to learn. And you can only learn by making mistakes by asking questions by asking again by asking again. I am not taking away anybody's opportunity to ask questions. Do I stop talking when one of you asks a question? If I'm in the middle of a sentence, I'll finish my sentence and then pick on you yes or no? Why? Because you don't come here for me, you

come here for you. And if you sit there with your question, and wonder if you're going to be are you all stars gonna think this is a stupid question. Or sounds gonna make fun of my question. Of course, I'm gonna make fun of my your question. That's my entertainment in life. But that doesn't mean you don't ask a question. Ask your question. Learn to live with the embarrassment. Get over yourself.

Get over it. Learn, which means I don't get it. Do that. Again. I don't understand gender, which question be specific and be focused, and I'm telling you two things. You will learn like you've never learned before. And two, you will develop confidence.

You'll just become less worried about what people think look, I'm teaching barefoot online.

Okay.

This is comfy.

Okay, does it doesn't matter. I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone. My job is to teach you. That's it. Your job is to learn. That's it. Once you get that clarity of thought, all this other stuff starts disappearing. Unfortunately, unfortunately, unfortunately, many of us come from education systems, where even inside the classroom, we bring social hierarchy. And that gets in the way of learning. It actually gets in the way of learning. Okay, so I'm very proud of those of you that are struggling and still trying. It's not easy. You struggled with the answer, and I'm super proud of you for trying. It made me really happy that you tried and struggled. Why? Because it takes

guts to do that. It takes guts to do that. Some of you kids are answering even if you get it wrong, you're trying anyway. The adults are like, Oh, the kids are so smart. I don't want to feel stupid in front of kids. Why not?

Why not? Is it gonna make you a lesser person?

kids or kids are faster they memorize that you got old, your memory fills you so can you get over yourself?

You're learning now you should be proud that you're learning now.

You know. So those are the things that I don't want to take too much time away from class but this is important for you also in life, not just an Arabic class, Chawla.

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