Overheard at the pool:
I was much better in physics than chemistry when I was in college. But I was a much better chemistry teacher because I understood the struggle.
What an interesting comment! One would think that a teacher would be most successful teaching in his or her area of expertise. Yet, that is contrary to this retired teacher’s statement. Upon reflection, her comment makes so much sense.
If you understand the struggle of your student, isn’t there a tendency to be more tolerant, more patient, more creative and more encouraging? Isn’t that what we want from our educators?
A short story:
When I was in college, I saved the dreaded math requirement for last. As on “older” student, algebra was my biggest challenge and I kept putting it off until I finally had no choice if I wanted to graduate.
The professor was brilliant! He was young and somewhat brash, already published, definitely a super smart math star. However, he could not teach me because he could not relate to my struggle as a 50+ year old trying to recall high school algebra. Oh, the number of times I left that class in tears!
Thankfully, I was connected to a tutor who did understand. She devised interesting ways for me to learn and retain algebraic formulas. She drew pictures and even sang silly songs to help me remember key functions. It was because of her patience, understanding and creativity that I not only passed the class, but earned an A-!
The same concept applies to learning in a business setting.
If you have a team member who is struggling to learn or understand a new process or system, the smartest person on your team may not be the best resource to assist. Try pairing your associate with someone who also struggled and successfully overcame. Through preparation and knowledge sharing, the “teacher” will strengthen skills, increase confidence and be viewed as a resource by others. Learning from a peer who can empathize with the struggle, the “student” will be less intimidated and will likely be inspired to press on. Successful learning will also boost confidence for future learning.
The unexpected pairing may be a win-win for all involved.
Of course, as the leader and facilitator of the partnership, check-in periodically to make sure that the arrangement is working for both parties. I believe that most people rise up to accept reasonable challenges; you will be pleasantly surprised at the achievement of both teacher and student.
Can I help? If you want to have a conversation about elevating your emerging leaders through peer-to-peer influence, click here to send me an email. I’d love to chat! -El
