In this TED Talk, Chemistry teacher, Ramsey Musallam talks about what he thinks are the 3 rules to spark a students drive to learn.
His three rules were:
- Curiosity comes first
- Embrace the mess
- Practice reflection
When talking about his three rules, after stating the first rule “Curiosity comes first,” Ramsey Musallam said “questions can be windows to great instruction but not the other way around.” I think this is a great quote when it comes to education. There will never be a time when at least one of your students doesn’t have a question, isn’t curious about something you’ve just taught, or doesn’t understand a concept. So why not use students questions, curiosity, and struggles to help them learn a little better?
My favorite rule is rule number 2, embrace the mess. Everyone has experienced a hard time while in school. Without “trial-and-error” how would you learn from your mistakes? That’s what education is all about. It’s okay to mess up and get wrong answers. Embrace it and learn from it!
The last rule is practice reflection. Caring about what you are teaching your students makes a huge difference in the way that they learn. If you stand up in the front of your class room and drag along your lesson for that day in a mono-toned voice, not really caring about what you’re saying, and just waiting for the bell to ring so you can go home, what will that show your students? It will show them that it’s okay for them not to care about their school work and education. Reflect on the way you are teaching and also on the material you are teaching as well. It will teach your students to reflect on what they are doing as well, and they will start to care a lot more.
I would recommend that all my classmates, and anyone else watch this TED Talk! He talks a lot more about his own experiences that will motivate and inspire future educators, like myself.
Tatum's Thoughts 