I always fancied myself as a teacher, and do like the concept of teaching. I consider it still one of the few noble professions, where people in general still respect. The idea of imparting knowledge, wisdom to another person especially to kids is powerful.
I have over the years taught a few kids as tuitions, with mixed results. Some did well, some did not. Other than those small experience I have had not much. The idea though always interested me. So an opportunity came where an NGO called Blue Turtle, needed a computer teacher and I agreed to do it. I started teaching computers on Saturday.
One issue I face is the interest from the children to learn, many times you see in their eyes/ body language that they are just not interested in learning or learning that topic which is being taught. It becomes difficult to teach if your student does not want to learn. You lose your motivation to teach them also after some time. The challenge is trying to make learning interesting.
Many times the topics are difficult to understand for a kid. So they tend to give up, and unless forced will not want to learn them. Here you try to simplify the complex topics so it becomes easier to digest for them. Once they start getting it, the interest comes more naturally. As a teacher, the way you teach is also a learning experience in itself, something works for some students and sometimes it does not for others. If I am to succeed I have to learn quickly as to how to teach. The good student is easy to teach to get better. The real challenge comes with the weaker students, can I bring them up a few levels. Can I make them want to learn? That is the question I will probably try to find an answer in the next few months or even years.