Viewing topic: What are you looking for in Teaching

Ok, I was going to reply to Alastair’s question. Yes I am/was in the Horse business. I guess you could say I am taking a break from it. To all of you that may have run across my stories in here, I Raised, Bred, Bought and Sold horses for the last 8 or so years. Specifically Appaloosa Horses, A breed believed to be about 300 years old, started by the Nez Perce Indians. “Lewis and Clark commented on the horses of the Nez Perce Indians of the Palouse River region in 1805. Lewis openly admired the splendid spotted horses they pastured.” I have even sold horses to people in Japan as well as across the US.

I have found that teaching English is not that different than training horses. Let me explain! When working with a horse it is important to start a dialog. This means that you have to teach the horse to speak the same language as you speak. In my case I speak quite a bit of Horse. This comes from Years of being around them. A simple touch is the same as several words to a horse. When you want them to move forward, you do one thing, backwards another. I found that Teaching English has a lot of the same principles. First you must set ground rules, second you must show patience, and third you must show the pulp that you are willing to work with them.

Teaching is some what of an art. Being able to convey your thoughts to another in a way so as to get them to understand, learn and retain the information. Personally I prefer horses to people due to the fact that I understand horses more than I do people. But it doesn’t change that fact that the techniques as similar. Even giving riding lessons are the same. You must teach the rider the horse’s language. What ever you have taught the horse, you must teach to the person riding. Language is Language, what ever form it takes.

There has been a lot of talk around the site about teaching techniques and such. Just as in Teaching, if you get into the horse business for the money, you are wasting your time. There is money to be made in both industries, but each has to be built and nurtured to product the best results. The horse business can be very good to you at certain times of the year. It can also make you starve throughout the other parts. If you really want to teach (Either Horses or People) my advice would be to: do your homework, be prepared to starve, and not to look at it as a business, but a chance for a future. (Yours and your students) In my case my horses.

I didn’t post this to re-animate a dead forum. I believe it best to let it go. I do think that the topic of “What are you looking for in Teaching” Is a valid one. So let’s focus on the positive aspects of what we hope to gain from our experiences. If it gets out of hand, it can always be locked again.

Also to any ine wondering,,,, I quite school in the 10th grade. Education takes may forms.

As you can see by the fact that I can't spell. Sometimes I think faster than I type, and sometimes I type faster than I think. I hope this one comes out right.

One of Will's most profound posts yet!

I can really identify with the teaching/training analogy. And now you mention it that way, I can see more parallels there than I'd ever really thought

Not everyone can train an animal, not everyone can teach a person.

I really like that analogy Will. If you think about it language isn't just about words, even among humans. Tone of voice, facial expressions, body language etc. For example it's amazing the extent to which I can follow a Russian film (without subs), even tho I can only understand the odd word of what's being said. And of course it's important to have a rappour with your students, whether they're humans or horses.

Yes, you're so right, Digdugs - the same sentence can be made to sound completely different when the stresses are put on different words... And body language and rhythm are mainly what allows people who don't speak a word of each other's language to be able to communicate somehow!