Silence is not golden in my classroom

The semester is almost over, and I have failed to make the permanently silent students open their "golden mouths". Oh well, I think I did better in one class than the other. In the Language and Gender class made up of English majors, the class is much more interactive and students seem to enjoy it (despite a few sleepers here and there). In the Advanced Reading and Discussion class, maybe 75% do the reading, and only about 15% do the discussion.

You know what this makes me want to do? Teach again next semester!! I love teaching, and really want to try again, having learned a few things about Taiwanese students and the university climate. If I ever have a chance, I think I would really enjoy the role of a teacher in Taiwan. I consider this little bit of teaching rather entertaining as I get to know the young people, what their life is like and what they talk/think about. A few things I have learned:

• The barrier to speaking up or even doing any critical thinking is very real and severe for most, and it's impossible to force them to participate. I need to go step by step, and remember that these quiet kids have never done any public speaking.
• Make classroom rules clear and stick to them strictly. Tardiness, absence, eating in class, etc. If you don't want those behaviors, make it clear upfront and they'll respect you, though you may get a reputation as a scary person.
• It's okay to make students run errands for you, unlike in the US. So feel free to let them help with the course. Spare yourself the busy work and focus on the substance of teaching.
• If I encourage participation, I sometimes run the risk of favoring city/rich kids over rural/poor kids. The former are usually more comfortable with interpersonal interactions, and I should not judge the latter negatively because of their background.

So, in spite of my many tasks and obligations, I have committed to one course next semester. I want to experiment with some new ways of teaching and see if I can do better. It's really a fun activity for me actually :)