Why look for the expert in the room?: Teachers - The "Jack of all trades"

Source

Have you ever heard the saying, “Those who can, do. Those who cannot teach”? This was a line from the 1903 play called “Man and Superman” by Bernard Shaw. It is a saying that has transcended time and is often used to trivialize the value of teaching. I first heard it a long time ago but I really didn’t think much about it until I become a teacher. The phrase had been thrown at me by a friend at a party as a joke. I outwardly laughed and played along with the joke but inside I was quite upset. Is that what people really think of teachers? Is there such little respect for what teachers do? Over the course of my 15 year career I have seen a great deal of evidence to show that in fact, many people do unfortunately think this statement to be true. I have even had some of the people closest to me in my life speak about teaching in a way that disparages the whole profession. Well, they couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Source

To say that only people that can do something are going to work in a particular field is a nieve thing to say. Yes, there are certainly “experts” out there and these people might choose to work and excel in that area of expertise. However, there is no commandment that states that this “will” or “must” happen. In fact, there are many occasions where people who have an expertise in one area chose to do something completely different. There are people who are experts in a particular area that choose to teach because education is something they are passionate about. They may or may not teach in their area of expertise but they teach because they enjoy it. Then there are those who may not be experts in any particular area but have the ability to teach and learn. Having the ability to learn is essential to being able to teach. Teachers are constantly having to learn now content, teaching strategies and classroom management skills. A better way to think about this might be to consider the difference between a Specialist and a Generalist.

Source

Generalist VS Specialist

A generalist states a generalist is “a person who knows something about a lot of subjects”. A specialist is defined as “a person who has special knowledge and skill relating to a particular job, the area of study”.
Therefore, generalists are the “jacks of all trade” – they have an understanding of a wide range of things. They might be able to solve your computer problem while also programming you a handy little app. On the other hand, specialists are the experts in their specific field. Whilst a specialist might not be able to know how to find the best employees for your business, they can draw up the best employment contracts as a seasoned employment lawyer.
Source

History is filled with the names of people who instead of settling into a role as an expert and sticking to one field, decided to expand their working to several different areas.

Yet, many of the most impactful individuals — both contemporary and historical — have been generalists: Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Arianna Huffington, Ben Franklin, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Marie Curie.
Source

You may recognize some of the names. Can you imagine if these people had just stuck to one single path and never expanded their knowledge base? There are many other people who could be added to that list but that is not the topic at hand here.

Source

I prefer to think of teachers as Generalist who may or may not have a specific expertise but have the incredible ability to learn. They can adapt to their ever-changing environment with ease and find new and meaningful ways to bring education to children all the time. Teachers are resilient creatures who are able to shapeshift at a moments notice. They possess a passion for teaching that gives them the fuel to get up in front of children every day and deliver lessons that will prepare students for their future. They are content providers, character builders, family supporters, counsellors and actors all wrapped up in one. A teacher does not just teach. A teacher wears a multitude of different hats each and every day.

Most importantly a teacher is a lifelong learner who is able to understand and learn concepts efficiently and teach that material to students effectively. The reality is that there are often times when a teacher is not an expert on a subject. When this happens teachers are capable of finding out the information they need and learning it. Just last year I had to learn the entire grade 8 science curriculum. It was my first time teaching that subject and level. I had some basic understanding of some ideas but needed to learn things on a deeper level before I could confidently teach the students these concepts.

There are also the times when a teacher is not only asked to teach something they may not know well but they might also be uncomfortable with the content. As an elementary teacher, you quickly learn that you are responsible for teaching the majority of the subject area to your students. This changes a little as you get into middle school and high school where your teaching subjects might be a little more specific.

Growing up I was never all that good at art. To be perfectly honest, I hated art. It was something that I had no interest in and as soon as I had the option to choose my own course I was done with art. To teach art in class was something that stressed me out from the very beginning. How was I going to teach something that I knew so little about and did not enjoy myself? I had to make a mental shift when it comes to art. I made a commitment to myself to try to engage in art. I took an art class for fun and attended a workshop on teaching art. I forced myself to “try”. I mean, how could I expect my students to try if I was unwilling to try. It took some time but I became more comfortable teaching art over the years and now it is one of my favourite subjects to teach. Especially with my grade 8’s. It is so much fun to see what they are capable of doing after you have taught them a concept. They can be so creative. The following is an example of a student's work this year.

Shattered Images

Next time you hear someone say that teachers only teach because they can’t do anything well, remember all that goes into being a teacher. Ask them how many things the can actually do. Do they know the difference between a Specialist and a Generalist? Have they ever heard of Thomas Edison or Steve Jobs? Or You can do what we have been doing for ages and take the high road. Politely smile and walk away with the wisdom that they could only wish to have half the skills it takes to do a teachers job each and every day.

Images: 5