A Note on Teaching

I would venture to say that much learning is “self-generated.” That is to say, the majority of stuff that ends up in our “gray-matter” will indeed be placed there by us!! No kidding! From a personal standpoint, I have learned much more in the field of my major since graduating than I did while I was there. Ultimately, however, this says more about me than it does regarding my alma mater (I truly appreciate my time there). Therefore, as teachers, we must teach the basics and teach them well so that our students are properly positioned to go on to self-directed, advanced learning.

It is better to master all of a little rather than none of a lot. Too many of us, whether teachers or students, seem to work from the opposite end of the spectrum; that is, we ingest too much from too many places in too brief of a time-period. The fall-out from this is that many teachers and students alike end up becoming a mile-wide and an inch deep. When you master the little bit that you are presently working with, then move on to the next piece of the puzzle. Students, it's the same with you, just from a perspective of learning. All of us would do well to master the basics (a rifle-approach) rather than surveying the whole landscape (a shotgun approach).