The Teacher Within Me

Where does teaching fit into learning? and what is the role of a teacher? a faciliatator? An educational or instructional designer?

I think that teaching is sharing. Sharing information and knowledge, and frequently that sharing is two sided. In my professional life, I conduct informational workshops and while it's often one sided, my providing information and the audience that I am speaking to obtaining the information. I am constantly learning about how to make that infomation meaninful to each individual in the audience. Nothing worst that talking to a group of people about legislative mandates and seeing someone slowing and painstakingly trying to not doze off during the workshop, and worst yet to see one in deep sleep. I find that if I encourage questions or pose questions there is more of a dialogue and more interest for both the audience and myself.


Teaching is a two way street. A good teacher in my opinion has to be part of the learning experience that is happening. I really enjoyed "The Big Picture" by Dennis Littky. Littky describes the learning enviroment at "The Met" as a participatory structure; where teachers are completely engaged in the learning as much as the students. The teacher is merely faciliators of the knowledge.