Asking Questions

“The best teachers are those who show you where to look, 

but don't tell you what to see.”

― Alexandra K.Trenfor

When you don't know something, but want to, the best way to learn 
is to ask questions.  But when you don't know what you don't know, 
you don't know that you don't know it.

This is where a good teacher is invaluable.

After teaching for over 40 years I have come to have a new
understanding and appreciation for the role of good teachers
 in my life.  The ones who were open minded.  Who asked questions
and let me wrestle with finding the answers.  The ones who didn't
 judge me when I got it wrong, but encouraged me to keep looking. 
Who lifted me up, not tore me down.

All of these things have informed me in terms of teaching.  Which
is not to say that I am the best teacher for everyone.  I have made
mistakes and not been 100% on the ball every day.  Each time I
recognize I've not served a student well, I try to determine where
I went wrong and how to do better.

The fact of the matter is that we all process information in a way
that works best for us.  I know recent articles have questioned
that, but in my experience, in a group of 20 people there will be
some who learn by listening to an explanation, some who need
 a demonstration, others who need to do it themselves.  Aural,
 visual, kinetic.  Still others can winkle out meaning from reading.

We live in very interesting times with the rise of the internet.
 Instead of books or an in-person teaching experience, we also
now have on line classes, dvds, chat groups.

For people wanting to learn how to weave, there are a variety
of ways of obtaining information.  I have contributed video clips
to You Tube, done dvds, presented power point 'lessons'.  But
mostly I have written.  It really is my preferred method of
communication.  

Regardless of how someone learns, the gathering of information
begins with questions.  When not enough is known, finding a
good teacher who will help guide you by asking those questions
then assisting you to find answers is the first step on the road
to understanding.

Was just talking with someone about how our personal journey
informs who we become.  As I look back on my life I was blessed
with a majority of really good teachers.  Teachers who made me
 think.  Who taught me how to recognize things like emotional
trigger words, editorial bias, and think critically.  I took lots of
science classes, assuming I would go on to university, so I learned
how to set up experiments, analyze data, adjust procedures and
not be afraid of 'failure' because that was how to figure out what
didn't work and make changes to my processes to come closer to
success.

Taking English, English Literature and other classes like Social
Studies taught me how to write essays.  How to research topics
and come to conclusions.  How to write with clarity.

When I look back on my early years as a weaver, I see how my
music classes, dance classes, sports, all informed the physical
skills and how I could self coach myself through the ergonomics
of weaving.  I also asked professionals - physiotherapists, massage
therapists, dance instructors who had taken degrees in movement
- if my posture and processes were good or would lead to injury. 
Their feedback confirmed that I was doing things in a way to
reduce repetitive motion injuries.

Teaching workshops I learned how to interact with people and
how to communicate in ways which - hopefully - would help
them understand.  As mentioned, I didn't always succeed, but I
 tried.  And always - I learned.

So my philosophy is pretty much as above, both the meme and
the quote.  Good teachers lift their students up, not tear them
down.  (I've had both kinds, I know the difference.)  Good teachers
help guide their students, not dictate to them.  Best teachers
applaud  when their students go on to eclipse them.  Because
learning is not a competition.

We stand on the shoulders of giants.  We build on what has
gone before.  We help others become the best they can be.

For those people wanting to learn?  Find a good teacher.  Become
a good student.  Learn as much as you can.  Learn how to apply
what you learn to achieve your goals.  

Then pass it on.  That is how we keep this craft alive and vital.