Ever wondered if great teachers make terrible students? Join me on a reflective journey through a decade of teaching educators, as I grapple with a burning question that emerged during my own moments of introspection. Picture this: a classroom where the focus shifts from absorbing valuable content to critiquing the instructor. As a teacher of teachers, the dilemma arises – am I, in fact, a lousy student? Let’s dive into this thought-provoking exploration, navigating through personal anecdotes, insights, and a touch of aviation drama to unravel the complex relationship between being an effective educator and an engaged learner. Get ready for a candid examination of teaching, learning, and the perennial question:
Are good teachers doomed to be horrible students?
This question has been lingering in my mind as I've delved into teaching other educators over the past decade. The first time it crossed my mind was during a reflective moment in a course. I found myself critiquing the instructor in my head more than absorbing the content. The more courses I attended, the more I realized my focus was on evaluating the teacher rather than learning the material. So, as a teacher of teachers, am I a bad student?
If you were to punch this question into your browser, you'd likely get a bunch of incorrect answers. Most results I got were suggesting that experts can't be good teachers. I disagree with that notion, but we'll save that debate for another day. Instead, let's break down this thought process and figure out if I'm a bad student or not.
According to Carnegie Mellon University’s Eberly Center, some bad student traits could include:
- Lateness or leaving early
- Inappropriate cellphone and laptop usage in class
- Side conversations
- Disregard for deadlines
- Grade grubbing
- Sniping remarks
- Cheating
Confidently, I can say I don't exhibit any of those traits as a student. However, I do find that if an instructor presents in bad form, I'm not "in tune" with the material. I catch myself wanting to help the instructor teach better rather than learning what they're teaching. As you can probably tell, this is a big issue if you need to pay attention.
Let me share an example. During private pilot ground school training, we were reviewing pattern work. The classroom was a small side room at the airport with a whiteboard and a few desks. No problem there. As a prepared student, I knew the relevance of the lesson for my upcoming flights. I was eager to learn until the instructor started.
First, he presented the material haphazardly. Not a big deal, right? Just a shaky start. Nope, it continued for the entire 45-minute lesson. The issue was the instructor's lack of confidence in presenting information and the disjointed approach. He contradicted himself with speeds, flap settings, and visual references. His credibility in the classroom was shot for me. There was no flow to his instruction. We started drawing on the board, writing down numbers for speeds (erasing them as mistakes were made), and talking about the numbers with no real guidance. At this point, I started watching his mannerisms and instruction presentation rather than the content. Can you see the problem?
"The issue was the instructor's lack of confidence..."
Luckily, I noticed that I had not been paying attention and had to ask a lot of confirming questions to cover what I deemed as important to the lesson for my next flight (speeds, altitudes, bank limits, etc.).
So how do I fix this? Honestly, I haven’t fixed it yet. I still do this if I sense weakness in the teacher. I don’t outwardly act on these feelings. But I definitely am not gathering the information from whatever the course of instruction is. What usually happens with me is that I will have to conduct a lot of research or follow-up on the backside of the lesson, on my own, to learn the material from myself instead of an instructor. In some rare cases, I actually just withdraw from the course and the re-enroll later if it is being taught by a different teacher.
Some people at this point ask why I don’t just help the teacher or instructor out with how to better present the information? Well, I have tried that. It usually doesn’t end well because that same teacher shares a trait that I have said makes a bad teacher… they don’t like feedback and are not accepting of it.
"...why don't I just help the teacher..."
So, to answer the question of if I am a bad student or not, I would have to say yes, I am. Although I don’t follow any of the traits previously mentioned, I am not engaged in the instruction being presented. I am not present or attentive to the teacher's material, only the mannerisms. That would lead me to state that while I try to be a good student, I often find myself falling short of that goal.
Thinking back to how I learn from this, I try to make sure that I consistently present a professional image to my students. The hope is that I present information that keeps them engaged and attentive, and they are not focused on the way I present information; rather, they are focused on the content of the lesson being presented.
My only question for the readers, is this also a problem for you?
Hopefully this was a fun thought journey for you. As always, stay humble in your knowledge, approachable in your teaching, credible in your thoughts, and aggressive in your passion to teach others!
Comments