Sep

30

What is a teacher?

Filed Under The Way I See It 

When I think of a metaphor to explain my teaching style, I think of gardening or training horses. In my earlier posts Don’t blame the lettuce and Training Horses and Teaching Students I discussed why an effective teacher is like an effective gardener or an effective horse trainer. I like using metaphors to explain things so I was delighted when Senia sent me this quotation

“What is a Teacher? A Teacher is the special person who has the responsibility to provide the “Eyes” for a student, and helps the student to “See”. A good Teacher directs the student’s eyes to the simple parts first, and slowly, bit by bit, gently guides the seeking hands along a proven path. He carefully points out the next bits of knowledge, skillfully combining the simplicities, until the top of the mountain unfolds, not as a “complexity of facts”, but as a workable system, perfectly understood and usable by the student.”

~ Violin method book by Eden Vaning-Rosen

Senia notes

I also like that the end result is not a “complexity of facts.” By the time you get there, you’re not memorizing facts; you’re using parts you understand. This is how I want to be as a teacher.

 

I agree with Senia. I don’t want to be a teacher who is only concerned with a “complexity of facts”. I hear so much from teachers who feel pressured to teach kids all the facts about their subject before the end of the semester. These teachers are upset if anything takes time away from their class time- announcements, silent sustained school wide reading, field trips etc.

While learning facts is important, I feel it’s equally important for students to learn systems that can help them navigate through their world and help them get the results they need or want. For me learning to learn is important; learning to think critically is important; learning to solve a problem is important. Life is a journey that we need to know how to navigate. The Learning Strategy Class I teach is all about that, all about teaching processes and strategies that can help students succeed in school and beyond. I guess that’s why I enjoy teaching it so much. I’m really more of a process person I guess. The journey is important for me, not just the destination.

 

 

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