I conclude with a final story about Nasreddin
Hodja.
The villagers asked the Hodja, “Sir, in the
morning some people go this way and some go the
opposite way. Why?” The Hodja answered, “If all
the people went in the same direction, the Earth
would lose its balance and topple over.”
The Hodja’s message can be applied to language
teaching. It tells us that differences among
people are to be expected and that these differences
provide balance. When we acknowledge
and appreciate the various backgrounds of our
students, their multiple abilities, and differing
perspectives on teaching and learning, we can
achieve balance in our classes and increase our
effectiveness as teachers.