SME versus Educator

Differences in profession (ie. clocking versus getting it done)

Teaching versus telling

They made it, but not everyone understands how to crack the code of school

Culture of academia - vocabulary, processes, policies, service

Thoughts

Teaching and Learning versus Telling and Being Talked AT

- Personal blog post from May 15, 2011

I have long said that the "teaching" model in which large amounts of information are passively bestowed upon a room of individuals deemed "ready" for the material is a significantly ineffective use of knowledge, time, and potential. I have seen this model in use throughout my professional careers, particularly in nursing.

Often has been the time in which I have sat through hour after hour of well-prepared, excellent content only to have a great majority of it unavailable to me for practical use within just a few hours. This is basically a product of too much information and too little opportunity for application before piling on more information.

Tonight as I am reading John C. Maxwell's "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership", I find a parallel concept with regard to the development of leaders. Maxwell asserts that leaders are learners and that this is a process that takes place over time, not as a result of an event.

In Chapter 3, The Law of Process, Maxwell states:

Don't get me wrong. I appreciate events. They can be effective catalysts. But if you want lasting improvement, if you want power, then rely on a process.

Consider the difference between the two:

AN EVENT	A PROCESS
Encourages decisions	Encourages development
Motivates people	Matures people
Is a calendar issue	Is a culture issue
Challenges people	Changes people
Is easy	Is difficult

If I need to be inspired to take steps forward, then I'll attend an event. If I want to improve, then I'll engage in a process and stick with it.

So I suppose the question becomes...are we trying to motivate people or are we trying to teach them? If we are trying to motivate them, we need to make certain that they understand that they are responsible for creating and monitoring their own process. If we are truly wanting to teach however, we must be the guides who do more than motivate, we must illuminate the process.