"Those who can't, teach."
-old adage that oversimplifies teaching and is really, really wrong
In order to teach, you need the following prerequisites:
- Understanding: you cannot teach well what you don't understand well.
- Empathy: you need to be able to assume the point of view of someone who doesn't know what you know yet and not hold that against them.
- Curiosity: you need to want to know what can they already do on their own without your help.
- Compassion: you need to understand that growing pains exist.
- Ingenuity: you need to be able to adjust because not everyone learns the same way, nor do they necessarily learn the same way as you.
- Patience: you need to understand that not everyone gets it on the first try or even the twenty-second, and sometimes, it's not time yet for a particular skill.
- Wisdom: you need to know when you're the expert and when your student has just taught you something.
This is a short list of prerequisites. Not on the list? A teaching credential. Teaching is a profession, but it is also a way of communicating and a way of viewing the world as a place where people can grow. (Also not on the list: skilled marksmanship, but that's more political than I want to get today ...)
Do you have what it takes to teach well? I bet you do or could develop those skills because those who can, teach.
Have a great day.