Every day I patiently await sixth period. A picture of The Beatles in all their splendor decorates the wall. The desks are expertly arranged to be conductive of discussion. It is a no-brainer that politically charged information is to be presented daily. Witty yet snide remarks materialize frequently and a mix of boisterous laughter and muffled giggles infiltrate the room.
The class is superbly casted, complete with a teenage prodigy and an Edward Cullen-esque lad, and the teacher is brilliant in many regards. While I am not the most diligent student outside of the classroom, I am completely enthralled by the information that comes to life through videos and lectures. While my lively classmates and the intriguing subject matter play a major role in my adoration for AP Comparative Politics, I am particularly fond of Mr. Nothdurft’s no-nonsense yet multi-faceted approach to teaching.
Independent learning is my vice and thus a teacher agreeable with my learning patterns is vital to my education. In Comparative, Mr. Nothdurft relies on classical approaches to teaching such as assigned reading, clearly defined objectives, and lectures. However, he also incorporates entertaining media that corresponds with the course subject matter and invites controversial discussion.
In my opinion, his liberal approach to teaching provides for a learning environment that appeals to the many different hardwiring patterns of students’ brains.
Alternatively, I feel that teachers that rely too heavily on one component of teaching to be difficult to latch on to. Also, when an instructor incorporates too many student-driven discussions or superfluous lectures I feel it makes learning difficult as it becomes a challenge to distinguish between substance and fluff.
Another aspect of Mr. Nothdurft’s teaching that I enjoy is how he is candid at times about his personal political slant, yet remains just elusive enough to maintain professionalism.
While I respect that some teachers are humans with just as many colorful opinions as the rest of society and possess a genuine curiosity regarding how they view the world, I am extremely off-put by teachers that use their platform to promote an overzealous political perspective. While Mr. Nothdurft tastefully weaves political statements into the curriculum of his politics class, I feel political soapboxes are not appropriate in other courses.
Furthermore, I simply find it unprofessional for teachers to expose students to too much of their personal sentiments and that revealing too many opinions can taint students’ views of their authority.
While it is inevitable that politically riddled statements will materialize in the classroom, I feel that an efficacious teacher knows the time and place to divulge his or her opinion. While many teachers follow suit and maintain the composure they should possess as an educator, unfortunately, others do not.
