He tolerated only minimal conversational interaction with students and clearly preferred the comfort of lecturing without the risk of being challenged.
Another level on which his mindset would come to define the student experience was the degree to which it eroded any possible passion for the material. From the student's perspective, the non-participatory classroom environment and the standoffish demeanor of the educator himself had fostered a feeling of acceptance for academic laziness. While the teacher worked so hard to present himself as a disciplinarian, he drew his course material directly from the text book and his exams demonstrated little to no creative thought. His approach to the material asked for nothing more than rote memorization to the extent that studying could be conducted without ever engaged in critical reflection. Students viewed this as the teacher's disinterest...
To wit, I know now that the only way to instill passion, excitement and creativity in my students will be to take these characteristic on in my own mindset. Flexibility is essential if the classroom is to become a place where new ideas are formed and revelations are achieved. Whatever the subject matter, the teacher has the power to demonstrate the pertinence and value of it to his or her students. Where my history teacher failed was in recognizing that his students could be capable of bringing new ideas and meaningful revelations to the fore. As a subject of those low expectations, I and my fellow students found this attitude off-putting and insulting. I will always approach my students with the mindset that they have the capacity for ingenuity.
