I talk often about my wife, because her job is intriguing to me. Teaching is so much different from other careers. Many of the rules that would normally apply to a job are completely different when it comes to educators. These different expectations have both negative and positive nuances that may not be immediately apparent.
Today we’ll focus on the positive aspects of applying teaching principles to other career tracks. We would love to hear your feedback on this. It’s super-simple to respond, too! All it takes is a comment below, an email, or a phone call to our voicemail system. And while it may challenge your thinking, just remember that it’s coming from a guy whose greatest accomplishment so far is snitching on his old employer for having a nasty workplace.
Student Teaching
Try to imagine this scenario. You are nearly finished with college. Your degree is almost within your grasp. The final hurdle? Four months of “practice” in the field you are looking for. Now, some would say, “But that’s what internships are for!” Well, yes and no. Yes, internships can get someone experience in the field of their choice, but this would be handled the same way as a student teaching situation, and that means the college pairs the student with a teacher.
Can you imagine how things would be different if students were forced to work with someone in their chosen field for four months before graduating (and their ability to graduate would depend on their performance during that time!)? With some graduates and students having difficulties finding jobs, this partnership between the university and the employers could be a great way for colleges to see what’s really going on in the industry and what should be taught in the classroom, and employers would get a look at the offerings of the upcoming workforce. I’m not one for randomly making things mandatory, but I think this could develop into a symbiotic relationship to make work better overall.
Teaching Others
Now that we’ve made the leap, let’s tackle another fundamental part of a teacher’s job—providing instruction. Teachers spend their days showing others how to perform tasks, complete processes, and memorize/recall data. While I know that we all can’t spend our entire days doing this type of work, I still think everyone should use some teaching to further their careers.
I’m fairly new to the HR scene. I’m learning a lot about how the processes work and other things that I didn’t pick up in my educational experience. Even though I’m learning, who says that I can’t also teach? I am proficient in many areas technologically that could greatly enhance the productivity of our workforce. I know about some neat networking tools and social media platforms that my coworkers could benefit from. A side benefit of teaching others is that I learn the material better, because I try to think of it on a beginner level, and that helps to expand overall subject matter knowledge.
Join us tomorrow for Part 2 of the series to learn more about the sweet perks that teachers have (but the rest of us have to do without!).
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