Joanne Lipman talks about her orchestra conductor, Mr. K. She remembers him having a blunt way of teaching. He would sometimes call Lipman and other students an idiot if they did not do something right. Lipman says that if Mr. K. taught in this time period, he would no longer be employed. However, she argues that Mr. K.'s teaching method is better because it pushes students to do their best.
I completely agree with Lipman. In high school, I've seen so many "nice" teachers fail at having control of their class because they did not know when to be stern. There is nothing wrong with being nice, but students will at least try to take advantage of that. That is the moment when you must let students know that education is not to be taken for granted. There is a time to have fun, but first things are first and that is education. I do not want my students to fear me. Instead I want them to feel comfortable asking questions while knowing I will push them to their limits and beyond. Teachers are, in some cases, a student's number one fan. Therefore, at the end of the day, being stern, yet genuinely caring and nurturing is our duty.
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