As a college prof...

"If you build a man a fire, you keep him warm for a day. If you set a man on fire, you keep him warm for the rest of his life."

 

In my line of work we use that phrase daily.

 

Working as lead tech at auto dealer. My pay was based on my own productivity as well as all the other techs productivity. One of the techs often came to me for advise on how to diagnose the problem, usually drivability or check engine light. I would explain what I would do. He would leave and come back later. He never took my advice, always went down his road and ended up just throwing parts at the car. Car usually came back. He didn't last long.
I do understand there may be different ways to solve a problem, some methods are quickest, some will narrow down the problem, and some will show you to the door.

 

Give a man a fish and he’ll eat today
Teach a man to fish and he’ll spend all day in a boat drinking beer

 

Because critical thinking is now taboo, and the culture is a phubar hand-basket.

 

Good horses get worked to death, and some horses aren’t even worth leading to water.

 

Very true!

There's a little addendum to that which I learned about 15 years ago that really stuck with me: It's not my fault if someone either doesn't read or fully understand something I presented correctly, but it's definitely my responsibility to find a way to make it easy to for everyone to find, understand and absorb the message.

The context was regarding business writing, presentations, website design and content, but you quickly realize that it applies pretty much everywhere. Taking "it's not my fault if you don't get it" out of the equation typically helps everyone.

 

You can lead a horse to water but if you can get him to float on his back you have really done something.

 

But can you explain it in a way that I can understand?

 

Not necessarily. Understanding is hard work. I can't do that work for you.

I often explain to my students that learning chemistry is like learning to play the guitar. No matter how good your teacher is at playing, demonstrating, and explaining how to play, you will NEVER learn to play very well if you don't put in the hard work.

 

the old adage 'you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot force him to drink' is maybe headed for the scrap heap.

The really amazing teachers and leaders prepare their horses, work with them, learn what is going on with the horse, they explain the value of water and the importance of hard work and the value of it, by the time they are done, as they lead them to the water, the horses are pulling harder than at any time to drink deeply from the river that you have told them about...

Process and method over result.

 

When talking to colleagues, I often compare some of my least interactive and least interested classes to a dog that doesn't want to go on a walk. It's like I'm dragging them around by the leash, and it's unpleasant for everyone.

 

Stated in more scholarly, technical, scientific terminology:

One may usher an equine quadruped to hydrogen dioxide but cannot compel it to imbibe it.

 

@Torren61 , WTH? everything in this thread has come out folksy.

 

If you let a man thinky thunk, not now nor never will he think for himself sometimes y'all.

 

I have a shock collar that says different.

 

Half the teachers and leaders are below average and only a few are “really amazing.” But many teachers are good, and they need support so that they stay in the field.

During my wife’s 30-yr teaching career, from gifted pre-schoolers at a private university to GED classes in a housing project, what was really amazing to me is the lack of administrative and secretarial support that teachers are given.

At least for elementary school, a child’s ability to learn in school is enhanced by a home life that includes nourishing food and the loving care and encouragement of an adult at home.

 

look, the adage is about the motivation to learn, not teaching technique

profs can be inspiring. I had some good, some bad. the worst were spectacularly bad.

but no teacher, however inspiring, can drag all students into the Life of the Mind by force

some are just there to skate through and get the paper degree

 

That brings back a vivid memory of when I was about 9.
Not sure what I did, but I pissed off the horse I was riding and I still have this dream to this day of flying and then hitting the ground
Just knocked the wind out of me, but I really do still remember the sensation of flying through the air