I used to take offense to that phrase, now it doesn’t bother me. I’m proud to say I’m a teacher! I guess the comment is supposed to make us choose one? You either do or you teach. It’s got to be one or the other, but you can’t be both? Hmmmm. This is a classic rhetorical argument tool called the False Dilemma and it’s been around since 350 B.C. when Aristotle documented it.

Would You Rather be a “Doer” or a “Teacher”?

If I’m forced into the False Dilemma of choosing, I can tell you what I’d rather be… I’d rather be the teacher! Why is that? Because the teacher doesn’t fish; she teaches others how to fish. It takes continuous study and practice to be an effective instructor. Trust me… I’m still learning and nowhere near the level of some other teachers.

Going back to the false dilemma, are we also saying that Doers don’t teach? If the Doers don’t teach, then we need to ask the question…

Why don’t they teach?

There are only two potential reasons why a Doer won’t teach others. Either they can’t or they won’t. In other words, they don’t know how to teach or they don’t want to teach.

1. The Doer doesn’t know how to teach

If a doer won’t teach others, I certainly hope this is the reason. And, it’s an understandable one too! Teaching is not easy. Most of us have heard the expression “telling ain’t training” and it’s so true! Have you ever been in a teaching presentation with an unskilled facilitator reading 17 bullets off a slide to you? Then, this facilitator expects you to automatically retain all of that information and be ready to apply it… with no practice!

To be an effective teacher it takes years of study, practice and coaching. If you’ve ever been privileged to take a workshop from one of these highly skilled teachers, you know what I’m talking about.

2. The Doer doesn’t want to teach

If the Doer knows how to effectively teach but chooses not to teach, we have to wonder why they would withhold that skill set from others? Why would they refuse to offer assistance to others who could benefit from their teaching? We can speculate all day long on the reasons why, but the worst of them all is selfishness.

Maybe the Doer fears competition from everyone else, so they withhold their skillset from others. If they can maintain an edge over the others, then they can stay on top of the hill. Holding others down so they can maintain a personal advantage over them.

If someone truly lacks a high level of self-esteem or self-worth, I can see how this could happen. But, I certainly hope it doesn’t. That’s just not right. You’ll never truly elevate yourself by holding others down.

Can We Survive Without Teachers?

I don’t care what your reasoning is, the answer is “no.” I’m usually not one to speak in absolutes because there’s always an exception, but this one has no gray area. The answer is “no.” Think about anything you know how to do. You learned it somewhere! Chances are, it was taught to you by one of two sources:

• a teacher (or content developed by a teacher)
• the school of hard knocks (in other words, through reflection on your own personal failures)

If you never had a teacher in your life and had to learn everything through reflection on your own personal experiences, you would not be where you are today… period. There is no argument you can offer to refute that fact.

You’ve learned so much from so many in your lifetime. Take a moment to think about all the teachers who have blessed you. Without teaching the next generation, our society would regress dramatically within one lifetime.

We All Need Teachers

Our society and civilization would not be where it is today if we were unable to teach the next generation. It takes a heart of gold to want to see others succeed more than you’d want to see yourself succeed. Payday for teachers is found in the accomplishments of their students.

The heart of the teacher seeks the mind of the student.

So the next time you hear someone say, “Those who can do; those who can’t teach!” You can respond with “I agree. Not everyone is skilled enough or cares enough to be a teacher… but we can all find our place!” and if you live in the South, we usually follow an comment like that with “Bless your heart!” just so they know we care.

Do you want to make someone’s day? Take a moment now to send a quick note to a teacher who has impacted your life. That’s their payday!

Proud to be called a teacher and working hard to be a better one!
Russ