HOW DO I KNOW MY STUDENTS?
As an educator, people often ask me how I know what is going on in the minds of my students. Many students are quite shy and don't speak all that much. At the same time, in a classroom of more than forty students, it is hard to have many oneonone conversations with each person. So, how can I really know what makes each student tick?
My answer? I look at their body language.
It is easy to recognise when students are interested in a lesson. Most tend to look up and make eye contact. When I make a joke, they smile. When I talk about something difficult, they look confused. I know when students are really interested, however, because they lean forward and look at me. People have a tendency to lean towards whatever they are interested in. So if a student has his head lowered to look at his watch, it implies he is bored and just counting the minutes for the class to end. If two friends are leaning their heads together, they are probably writing notes to each other. Of course, not everyone who looks up is paying attention in class. Some students look up, but there is an absence of eye contact. Their eyes barely move, and they always have the same distant expression on their faces. It is as though they are asleep with their eyes open.
Some students are amused by something else. They spend all their time looking anywhere but at me. Then again, some students' favourite activity is daydreaming. With their chins on their hands, they occupy themselves by staring out of the window or up at the ceiling. They are certainly interested in something, but who knows what. The main thing is reminding distracted students that they need to pay attention in class.
While it is easy to perceive when students are interested, bored, or distracted, it is sometimes much harder to distinguish when students are troubled. Students who are angry, afraid, or experiencing anxiety may have their arms crossed in front of their chests and their legs closed or crossed, like they are guarding their bodies. Students who are sad or worried will nearly always wear a frown. They may also hide their faces in their hands like they are embarrassed or ashamed. Some students act this way merel ybecause they are afraid of being called on by the teacher. However, if a student does not bother to brush her hair and her eyes are red from weeping, then I can infer that there are deeper issues at work. It could be that she is having serious conflicts with other students or at home. Whatever it is, I know I need to inquire and assess what is going on.
Ultimately, my duty is helping every student to learn. Their body language lets me know when to adjust class activities, when to intervene, and when to talk to students individually, so they can get the most out of school. Reacting to body language is an important component of being a teacher.
1. How can the writer know what makes each student tick?| A．By having oneonone conversations with each person. |
| B．By talking with some students. |
| C．By observing students' body language. |
| D．By asking them to write a letter to the teacher. |
| A．look up and make eye contact |
| B．lean forward and look at the teacher |
| C．lower their heads and look at their watches |
| D．smile when the teacher makes a joke |
| A．happy | B．excited | C．shocked | D．angry |
| A．A social magazine. | B．A science book. |
| C．A research report. | D．A health magazine. |
THE MAN WHO CHANGED OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIVERSE
Albert Einstein, who is perhaps the greatest scientist in modern physics, is often considered one of the smartest men who ever lived. He made numerous contributions to the world, the most well-known being the general theory of relativity and the famous formula E=mc². Einstein was not only a genius; he was a courageous and kind figure loved by many people.
This gentle genius was born in Germany on 14 March 1879. When he was 16, he tried to enter university in Switzerland, but failed due to his low scores in the general part of the entrance exam, despite obtaining exceptional scores in maths and physics. After studying for another year, he managed to pass the exam, entering university in 1896 and graduating in 1900.
After two years of looking for work as a teacher, Einstein took a job as a clerk in the Swiss patent office. While working there, out of a strong passion for knowledge, he continued to study, earning a doctorate in physics in 1905. That same year, which was later recorded as a miracle year in science, he published four extraordinary physics papers. Following this, he gradually became famous throughout the world as the new Isaac Newton. After four years, he was able to quit his job at the patent office and enter research full-time at a university. In 1922, he was awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize for Physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
Circumstances changed in 1933, when Hitler came to power in Germany. Einstein, who was Jewish, found the doors of academic institutions closed to him. As a consequence, he had to flee Germany. After spending time in Europe, he finally took up a position as a researcher at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, USA. Following that, he continued to make great achievements in physics and mathematics.
To the public, he was seen as a slightly odd-looking but kind and funny man. He had a thick moustache and long white hair, which sometimes stood on end as though he had just received an electric shock. Although he was a genius, he sometimes forgot things, like his friends’ birthdays. But despite his peculiarities, he was loved by his friends and neighbors. There is even a story about how he helped a little girl who knocked on his door and asked for help with her homework. In fact, Einstein often encountered people on the street who would stop him and ask him to help explain things. After many such occasions, he finally started saying, “Pardon me! Sorry! Always I am mistaken for Professor Einstein!”
On 18 April 1955, it was reported that Einstein had passed away, and the whole world mourned the great loss of a brilliant scientist.
1. What subjects did Albert Einstein like best in middle school?| A．Politics and geography. | B．Physics and maths. |
| C．English and art. | D．Chemistry and history. |
| A．In 1902. | B．In 1904. |
| C．In 1905. | D．In 1906. |
| A．Because of his explanation of the photoelectric effect. |
| B．Because of his courageous and kind character. |
| C．Because of his strong passion for knowledge. |
| D．Because of his fulltime research at a university. |
| A．He came to power in Germany. |
| B．He was forced to leave Germany. |
| C．He moved to Europe for his degree. |
| D．He refused to work as a researcher in the US. |
