{"id":6851,"date":"2023-12-17T07:36:13","date_gmt":"2023-12-17T12:36:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dahlman.online\/?p=6851"},"modified":"2023-12-17T07:36:15","modified_gmt":"2023-12-17T12:36:15","slug":"those-who-can","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dahlman.online\/index.php\/2023\/12\/17\/those-who-can\/","title":{"rendered":"Those Who Can"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The College Model<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s an old phrase, guaranteed to fire-up anyone who works in a classroom:  \u201cThose who can, do; those who can\u2019t, teach\u201d.   Before we get into all of that, may I point out that the line is from a 1905 play, Man and Superman<\/em>, by George Bernard Shaw.  If you recognize that name, thank a teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s an ongoing fallacy: literally \u201canyone\u201d with an education can teach.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s based on the old college model. \u00a0College professors often have no training in how to impart knowledge to their students, other than the simple experience of sitting in classes (watching others who had no training in how to impart knowledge to their students, who watched others\u2026you get the point).\u00a0\u00a0Need a better example?\u00a0\u00a0Go down to your local auto mechanic and watch him\/her work.\u00a0\u00a0A few might be able to clearly explain what a torque converter does and why you need a new one.\u00a0\u00a0But most simply get the job done, and us laymen have faith in their ability, and pay the bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Look, we all have a lot of \u201ceducational\u201d experience.  Almost everyone lived through thirteen years of school, and many spent even more years of college, post-college, or other training.  We\u2019ve seen lots of \u201cpractitioners\u201d of teaching, so much so, that another \u201cold line\u201d applies:  \u201cFamiliarity breeds contempt\u201d (St Augustine \u2013 5th<\/sup> century, if you know him, thank a teacher).   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those who continued their education beyond high school, there was a lot of motivation in the college classroom.  Back in my day, it was a dollars and cents approach.  Each semester course cost about $600, in 1977 dollars.  Whether the professors were amazing (I had a few) or terrible (a few of those too), I wanted my money\u2019s worth.  Today at that same institution, those semester courses cost $7000, almost twelve times what it cost \u201cin my day\u201d (this \u201cmath block\u201d kid figured that out \u2013 thank a teacher).   That\u2019s real motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public School<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

But in pre-school, primary school, intermediate school, middle school and high school:\u00a0\u00a0those kids aren\u2019t making advanced mathematical calculations with 2023 dollars. (Here\u2019s a challenge, what grades are in each of those different educational environments?\u00a0\u00a0Answers at the end of the essay.)\u00a0\u00a0Students in public school are going to school because they have to.\u00a0\u00a0Our society, rightfully, determines that our citizens need education. It maintains our culture, our democracy and our economy.\u00a0\u00a0And the folks that provide that education need to have two very different skills.\u00a0\u00a0First, they need to know their subject areas.\u00a0\u00a0But, second, and perhaps more important, they need to know how to impart that knowledge to someone else, whether the someone else is intrinsically motivated to learn, or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teachers go to college to learn their subject.\u00a0\u00a0For me, courses in American and world history and politics; economics, geography, sociology and psychology helped me \u201cknow\u201d what to teach.\u00a0\u00a0But, even in the \u201cbad old days\u201d of the 1970\u2019s, we had several classes on \u201chow to teach\u201d rather than just \u201cwhat to teach\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0Add to that, an \u201capprenticeship\u201d under a \u201cmaster teacher\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0Mine was the last semester of my college career.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0And once a teacher actually gets a job, there\u2019s another year of \u201cjourneyman\u201d status, and more \u201cdollars to donuts\u201d in post-graduate work.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Teach<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Why all of this training?  Because kids \u201clearn\u201d differently:  some different than I do, some different than you do, and some different than almost any other kid in school.  And teachers are taught\/trained to search for multiple ways to reach each of those differing learning styles.  Here\u2019s \u201cthe\u201d list:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n