Our Favourite Teachers Weren't The Smartest

May 08, 2021

Iā€™ve always been a big fan of teaching, perhaps for selfish reasons.

Thereā€™s a special buzz about having someone pay attention to you, reaffirm your authority and possibly even credit you for their learning.

Each time I teach a class or lecture hall, I gather anonymous feedback. I read every response meticulously, as though every criticism could be the reason Iā€™m not allowed to teach again.

Sometimes, the subjects I know best donā€™t translate into good classes.

Other times, an impromptu session with minimal preparation is the most well-received.

Throughout the entire process, Iā€™ve ended up learning my very own lesson.

Explain vs. Entertain

You canā€™t teach someone who isnā€™t interested in listening.

Every student is uninterested until you give them a reason to beinterested.

A large part of getting students interested in what youā€™re teaching is to be entertaining.

Throughout my formal education, explaining was overemphasised whilst entertaining was undervalued.

We can all remember being told to explain things better in school: speak clearly, use punctuation correctly and ensure our message was succinct.

Yet, how many of us can remember being told to speak charismatically with smiles on our faces and fluctuations in our tone?

How many times was ā€˜cracking a jokeā€™ in our assignments seen as unprofessional?

Itā€™s not that being entertaining canā€™t be taught, it just isnā€™t taught.Our favourite teachers werenā€™t the smartest, they were the most likeable, entertaining and approachable.Without entertainment, education feels like a social contract. When itā€™s present, you earn the studentsā€™ permission to be heard.If education is a door to a better life, entertaining teachers are those who hold it wide open.

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