Teacher Versus Practitioner

I have got this old thought that has been hunting me for such a long time since I started my career in the university. It is: How I teach something I have never really practiced? Just reading from text books, doing research and being good with words, reading and writing don’t really mean I am in a position to teach the concepts.

They talk about the gap between academia and the market. They discuss about the employment gap. They don’t know who to blame.

Well if you ask me, I see the education system was formed in a way to acheive a purpose and goal. It never started to encourage creativity, invention and imagination. It’s basic foundation is to generate workers who are ready to follow a system, adhere the rules and do what you are being told to do.

Now coming to the idea of being a practitioner, it is learning the practices and concepts by being in the field, observing, interacting and applying the concepts. It is a trial and error process where you practice the concepts, do mistakes, learn and repeat the process again.

It is a humble process that grounds you and makes you accept the fact: You are not perfect. You are not smart. There is yet so much to learn and do. Come out of this academic intellectual box and do something. Take action. Visit companies. Conduct meetings. Meet people relevent to your field. Ask important questions. Have specific goals and targets in your field work. Know your direction and where you are going. And be consistent and take daily action steps until you reach your target.

The difference between a teacher and a practitioner really gives us hope out of this academia trap. Don’t fool yourself by thinking you will be smart by reading and gathering so much knowledge and researching and writing. There is a whole world out there waiting for you to explore, dive in and take calculated risks.

One part of this adds to my frustration of this education system. Probably because I love to self-educate, read, write and develop myself. But seeing people in the academic institutions focus only on the academic route, totally identify themselves with the professors and doctors and have no personal independent power and choice of their learning and growth except waiting and hoping for an opportunity from the institution to learn and grow.

Another part of this opens a door for me to gain perspective. With knowing the hidden harsh truths and facts of this education system and with so much personal reflections and processing, I finally reach a stage of owning my independent choice and autonomy in choosing how to teach, how to approach the beginning of every semester, what would be the objectives and targets for every academic course and how I approach teaching and students’ learning with aligning myself with my values and beleifs.

I understand the increasing work-load of this approach. But end of the day when you teach something that comes from a generous and abundant place and observe the eyes of your students filled with curiosity, excitement and eagerness to learn, that is something worth it and can make you sleep late at night and can’t wait to wake up in the morning and do your art again.