“Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.”
— George Bernard Shaw
‘Those who can’t do, teach’ is a truncation of the line ‘Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach’ from George Bernard Shaw’s 1905 stage play Man and Superman. Over a century later, and the derogatory phrase oft slung at educators stubbornly persists.
In the event the phrase itself isn’t self evident, the meaning carried is that teaching is first and foremost a role filled by individuals who fail to find adequate footing in their chosen vocation. However, there are several reasons this simply doesn’t hold water.
Most of our greatest doers have been great teachers
To start off by firing the big guns, in the century since Shaw’s drama was first performed, from the sciences to the arts, human knowledge and technology has seen an explosion of innovation. Spearheading this innovation have been many great minds, some of which have become household names for their contributions to their fields. Below is a list of some 20th century high achievers who have also taught.
- Albert Einstein
- Richard Feynman
- Robert Frost
- J. R. R. Tolkien
- Marie Curie
- Stephen Hawking
- J. Robert Oppenheimer
- Noam Chomsky
- J. K. Rowling
This list is anything but exhaustive.
In the modern era, teaching — particularly in tertiary academia — is the premiere avenue to funding, equipment, and access to driven colleagues at the cutting edge of most disciplines. In the past, particularly in periods such as the renaissance, the role of patrons provided many of the same requisites to advancement universities do today.
Does this mean only top-level teachers are capable, and childhood educators or on-the-job trainers are simply the incompetent bunch unable to perform? Well, not necessarily.
Teaching hones knowledge and ability
Anyone who’s been around children knows they’re innately curious. Where in most of us the urge to ask ‘why?’ diminishes over time, through indifference, fear of judgement, or otherwise, children will pick a willing brain freely when genuinely interested.
As a teacher, being prepared to answer questions — sometimes uncommon, challenging ones — is part and parcel. It’s in such situations knowing how to go through the motions doesn’t cut it; a deep and true understanding of what you’re teaching is necessary to convey properly the nature of the subject.
What does this mean for teachers? It means for any teacher worth their salt, the response ‘that’s just how it is’ isn’t an option. It means formulaic processes of achieving a goal can’t simply be mastered in rote fashion and applied indefinitely. It means ‘when it feels right’ isn’t a sufficient explanation, and identifying why makes all the difference. It also means the less common aspects of a role or task aren’t likely to fall victim to extinction.
As flawed as we are, all too often we take for granted knowledge we hold as complete and infallible. Until we’re forced by another to reconsider those held understandings, we may never see them as incomplete or malformed. Thus it’s in being challenged that teachers may reconsider why they hold a position in the first place.
“When one teaches, two learn.”
–Robert Heinlein
Teaching is in itself a discipline
Anyone intending to pass along skills and knowledge in a discipline effectively will need some understanding of the teaching discipline. Teaching comes with its own set of challenges removed from the subject at hand. In the modern world, becoming a teacher generally requires certification, which often involves a specialised degree.
Teaching the young involves challenges such as disciplining unruly students, empathy, recognising leaning difficulties, awareness of classroom politics, and the translation of complex information into age-appropriate explanations and examples (just to name a few). Perhaps most importantly though, teaching the young requires their curiosity is piqued so learning is welcomed as an adventure they want to continue.
“A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on cold iron.”
–Horace Mann
Instructing adults is no less of a challenge, introducing elements such as ethical issues, adult responsibilities encroaching on a student’s availability at times, inflated egos, and preconceptions for example. Adults are far better at hiding their confusion also, so teachers need be vigilant of pupils too shy to admit they aren’t keeping up.
Beyond these challenges, a teacher need be aware of when they themselves are forcing their own beliefs upon their students. A teacher’s job ends at educating, and does not extend to indoctrination. Perhaps put best by Amos Bronson Alcott:
“The true teacher defends his pupils against his own personal influence.”
— Amos Bronson Alcott
Why does the phrase persist if wrong?
Why the fallacious belief that teachers are largely incapable persists likely comes down to a few things.
First, and perhaps obviously, is the general under-appreciation for teachers in the Western world. This stems from societal ills, funding cuts to public education, and the change in direction education took in response to the industrial revolution. Education is largely about producing workers, and not thinkers. This has led to underpaid and overworked teachers, where many who aren’t truly passionate about teaching alongside their discipline may instead choose to ‘do’ rather accept substandard pay and conditions to instruct others.
Second is in the general rebellious nature of youth. Children have a tendency to think and speak poorly of those in authority over them when pressed to take actions they don’t necessarily want to, such as homework. Many of these people grow up holding onto those notions, whether substantiated or not, and find validation in them through the ‘those who can’t do, teach’ adage.
Third I believe is in the teaching of classes by teachers who don’t actually have a firm grasp on the subject matter. While this seemingly isn’t a large problem in tertiary education, childhood educators are usually expected to teach across a spectrum of subject matters, which may harm their lessons and pupils in turn.
Concluding statement
Teaching is an important role. It’s not always a job either, but more a responsibility we all share in. It may be something as mundane as showing the new girl in the office how to work the printer, or your neighbour the trick to a perfect casserole.
In the end none of us is born all-knowing, and society can only function, prosper, and endure on the passage of knowledge and know-how from one of us to another, and onward. The famous Alexander may never have become the Great were he not schooled by Aristotle, himself schooled by Plato, a student of Socrates…and so it goes.
Speaking of Aristotle, I’ll let him have the last word with regard to Shaw’s claim.
“Those who know, do. Those that understand, teach.”
— Aristotle
