{"id":36334,"date":"2019-10-31T22:11:00","date_gmt":"2019-10-31T19:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prohoster.info\/blog\/priyatnoe-i-poleznoe-v-prepodavanii\/"},"modified":"2019-10-31T22:11:00","modified_gmt":"2019-10-31T19:11:00","slug":"priyatnoe-i-poleznoe-v-prepodavanii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prohoster.info\/en\/blog\/news\/priyatnoe-i-poleznoe-v-prepodavanii","title":{"rendered":"Pleasant and useful in teaching","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello everyone! A year ago, I wrote an article about how I organized a university course on signal processing<\/a><\/noindex>. Judging by the feedback, the article contains many interesting ideas, but it is large and hard to read. I have long wanted to divide it into smaller pieces and write them more clearly.<\/p>\n

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But writing the same thing twice somehow doesn\u2019t work. Additionally, this year there were significant issues with a similar course organization. So I decided to write separate articles about each of the ideas. To discuss the pros and cons.<\/p>\n

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This is a zero article \u2014 an exception. It\u2019s about the motivation of the teacher. About why teaching is beneficial and pleasant for both oneself and the world.<\/p>\n

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\"Pleasant<\/p>\n

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I\u2019ll start with what motivates me<\/h3>\n

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First of all, I find it interesting and enjoyable! I\u2019ll try to articulate precisely what it is.<\/p>\n

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I enjoy coming up with rules that others will have to live by for at least a semester. I like refining existing rules or those I've created. Making them better, solving some problems that I or the students encounter.<\/p>\n

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A good course requires a lot: selecting material, organizing it wisely throughout the semester, learning to explain clearly and interestingly, and devising an adequate and stimulating reporting system for students. Designing such a course is not only very interesting but also practically useful. It can be endlessly improved. One can personally observe intermediate improvements in practice. In research tasks, visible practical improvements are usually lacking; teaching can compensate for this.<\/p>\n

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I also certainly enjoy sharing my knowledge \u2014 it seems to make me look smarter and more attractive. I feel like I\u2019m at the forefront of the audience. I appreciate that at least someone is listening to me attentively. They do what I believe is right. Plus, the status of a teacher creates a pleasant aura in itself.<\/p>\n

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\"Pleasant<\/p>\n

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But being interesting and pleasant is not everything. Teaching makes me better: more knowledgeable, more capable.<\/p>\n

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I find myself needing to delve much deeper into the material. I don\u2019t want students to look at me judgmentally and think, 'Here\u2019s someone who has nothing better to do than read us some nonsense that he doesn\u2019t even think is worth understanding.' <\/p>\n

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When students have a general understanding of the material, they begin to ask questions. Sometimes, these questions are insightful and lead us towards the unknown. Other times, the thought contained in the question has never crossed our minds before, or has been miscalculated in some way.<\/p>\n

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Sometimes new knowledge arises from the results of student work. For instance, while completing practical assignments or improving course materials, students propose new algorithms or quality assessment formulas. I may have heard of these ideas before but couldn't bring myself to explore them. Then they come and say, 'Why not add this to the course? It\u2019s better than what we have because...' \u2014 I have to dig in; there's no escaping.<\/p>\n

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In addition, teaching is an active practice of communicating with students. I answer their questions, striving to be clear and not veer into too much complexity. <\/p>\n

Spoiler:<\/b>I'm not particularly good at this=(<\/p>\n

During our interactions, I unwittingly assess the abilities and diligence of the students. Then, these evaluations automatically align with what the student actually accomplished. It turns out that I learn to evaluate the abilities of others. <\/p>\n

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Sometimes I discover interesting facts about how the world operates. For example, this year I experienced firsthand how significantly student flows can differ with just a one-year gap.<\/p>\n

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\"Pleasant<\/p>\n

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How else can teaching benefit the teacher?<\/h3>\n

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I have a few ideas. One can:<\/p>\n

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