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Bill[_41_]

zzzzzzzzzz wrote:

Again, you assume that only a "professional teacher" can teach. That is a
*very* bad assumption. One which is partly responsible for our ****-poor
education system.

Bill wrote:
I am Not saying that only a professional teacher can teach. I am saying
that my department is not willing to take the chance on someone that has
never taught a class before. It's just a matter of "prudence".
Plenty of things go astray every semester even without taking such risks.

krw: replied
That is not what you said. YOu were making a general statement. The argument
is nuts anyway. There is no magic to teaching. ...well, other than having a
good grasp of the subject matter (something "professional teachers" *very*
often don't have).

"There is no magic to teaching. ...well, other than having a
good grasp of the subject matter"

If you took that attitude into the classroom you'd disappoint
everyone except yourself (seriously)! You may get away with it in a
class of graduate students, but at the other end of the spectrum you'll
encounter real issues if you are concerned about student success.
If you expess a sentiment like the one above during a teaching
interview, you won't be teaching.

Ironically, you don't need a "perfect understanding" of the subject
matter to be a good teacher. You might even be a better teacher if you
don't have it (and in many cases, concerning ever-changing technology
for instance, it's practically impossible to have it).

I hope you have a chance to teach someday, and I hope you get great
results! However, before you do so, you'll have to learn something
about teaching. The students will not applaud you over your knowledge,
no matter how vast--in fact, if it appears too vast, they will tune you
out even faster. The sooner you accept this, the sooner you can be an
effective teacher.

Bill