3 posts tagged “natural teacher”

Caution, more thoughts on "natural teachers" ahead!

Question:  How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

Answer: Practice.

The prevailing theory is that some people are born with certain genes that give them the capacity for more talent (in some areas) than others, whether this be music, math, or teaching.  At the elite end of the spectrum are geniuses, people who are simply born with an extraordinary talent.  Now, it turns out, that research is proving this theory to be false.  Turns out the old chestnut about Carnegie Hall is much more accurate.

The leading expert on this subject is Anders Ericcson.  Here is a good article that sums up his research (AA, I think you will especially enjoy this article because it starts with an anecdote about futbal).  Here is one of Ericcson's academic papers on the subject.

This being the wired age, David Shenk, a writer working on a book about this subject, has a blog, titled, appropriately enough, "The Genius in All of Us."

Two good comments on my natural teacher posts from Ms. M and Mr. A.  Here is my response:

There is no such thing as a natural teacher. When people say natural teacher they often mean, as Mr. A states, someone who has "charisma." Charisma is not an inherent trait that someone is born with. There is no charisma gene. In my opinion, charisma is shorthand for someone who is "good with people" which is really just a set of skills.

What people often  mean when they say "natural teacher" is "someone who is good with classroom management."  This is a skill, developed through practice and repetition, just like any other skill. People often make the mistake of watching someone who is competent in a particular skill and assume that the person has always been competent. "Natural teacher" is just a meaningless phrase that people use to explain a complex set of skills.

In one of my Ed Leadership classes, the topic of natural teaching came up, as in "John is a natural teacher."   Many people, mostly educators, throw around the term "natural teacher." So I ask you, is there such a thing as a natural teacher?

My opinion, you ask?

I hate this phrase.  I think is a way of dumbing down the skills of a good teacher. I think it is one of the biggest misnomers out there. There is no such thing as a natural teacher. There is no "natural teacher gene" that some people are born with. At least, to my knowledge, no scientist have ever discovered this. No anthropologist has ever isolated a "natural teacher." Effective teaching, like most things, is simply a set of acquired skills, skills far to complex to simply be born with...

For more, check out this fantastic blog that posits genius as simply dedication and efficient practice: http://geniusblog.davidshenk.com/