Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Sometimes, the audience knows more than the designation teacher or expert. Great. There is much good that can come from this.

Let’s discuss teaching adults or at least a situation where someone says you are the teacher and everyone else in the room is an adult.

It is common for one of the “students” to ask a question that reveals the student has studied this point far more than the teacher. The teacher is there to teach something. A side point arises and the student knows much more about it.

NOTE: this is not high school where the teacher (should) know more than all the students on all topics. There are adult professionals who have studied side topics on the side and really know their stuff.
What does the teacher do?

Admit it, “You seem to have studied this topic a great deal and I sense that you should be teaching me about it. That is not the main topic for this session, so let’s move back to the main topic. At the next break, please come talk to me about this other topic. I would enjoy learning from you and perhaps we can share your expertise on that matter.”

This is a candid and truthful statement. The teachers acknowledges (1) the expertise of the student and (2) their own human fallibility and limited capacity. These are all good things to say. Who would want to be teaching a room full of adults who knew nothing? Of course the room is full of folks who are experts on something. Celebrate.