I coached rowing for about 12 years. I’ve had part time and full time roles. I’ve also coached multiple teams at once. Teaching rowing and actually rowing are two very different things requiring different skill sets. Great rowers do not always make great coaches and vice versa. Sometimes you can be great at both. Likewise you can be terrible at both.
I had the chance to co- teach a new recruiter training session today. It was hard work. Explaining what I do every day. Distilling down the most important parts but also making sure to explain the nuances. Trying to articulate clearly and concisely the important processes of my job in a way that would be helpful and actionable to others. Afterwards the other teacher and I joked that it was exhausting talking about what we do.
I think teaching is a terribly overlooked profession. Being responsible for the learning and development of any one at any age is very intense, time-consuming, and draining. You’re not only managing content that is in depth and detailed but also the engagement of the group. Explaining complex concepts without being verbose is a skill that takes time to hone. And inspiring others to be excellent learners and subsequent doers is what separates the best teaches from everyone else.
It was a rewarding experience for me to be able to teach what I’ve learned in the past year and a half. And I’d jump at the chance to do it again. And I think if you’ve got a teacher in your life, whether they are teaching you or your kids or your coworkers it might be a great chance to thank them for what they do. Their full impact is impossible to measure and they’re doing really hard and very important work. To all the teachers out there thank you, thank you, thank you.
