I’m probably not the only one with an Inner Teacher – that part of me that wants to go into Teacher Mode even when I’m not in the classroom. Sometimes my Inner Teacher just wants to tell store cashiers to spit out their gum. But sometimes she wants to make sure people learn.
My Inner Teacher won out today in my statistics class. There’s this guy who has been coming in to class with a look of defeat; he asks questions, but he keeps struggling to understand. The past couple of days I’ve heard him asking the instructor about the tutoring resources that are available on campus, asking if there are any videos that she can suggest to help explain the concepts, etc.
I had been struggling with the desire to offer him help versus the desire to avoid doing something weird/rude/othernegativeadjective. As much as he was asking the instructor for help, he wasn’t asking me, so I didn’t know how he would take it if I offered. But today after class, I caved to my Inner Teacher and asked the guy if he wants help from me. He seemed appreciative of the offer, and I’ll be working with him after class on Monday. I hope I can help him understand.
Praxis of Reflection 