One of the metrics for hiring in my university department is number of years teaching experience. This is forced upon us by HR: more years, more "points". So this metric becomes a component of an overall score for each individual applicant.
And yet, I look around at my colleagues, and I see that teaching effectiveness seems to have nothing at all to do with years of experience. Certainly, people can improve in their effectiveness over time (I know I have), but what separates good teachers from ineffective teachers is desire to be effective and love of the work: attention to teaching, prioritizing teaching among one's other responsibilities.
I observed the same during my years in academia. Faculty who disliked teaching, never improved and were sure students were to blame. They did nothing about their mindset because they were certain they saw the world objectively.
I'm old enough to retire, but the main reason I haven't is because I love teaching. The other primary reason is that I can't think of anything better to do with my time :·)
I'm intrigued by the closing remarks "In Ericsson’s words, “The solution is not ‘try harder’ but rather ‘try differently.’”" I'd love to hear more about this!
I've heard similar sentiments expressed, although in very different contexts, by clinical psychologist Kael Croft and physical therapist Anat Baniel.
Kylee, Thanks for the new resources. Baniel's page made me think of learning yoga. It is so easy to groove into the body poor form. When a trained instructor coaches you up, you have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable as you begin the frustrating part of undoing.
I remember that decades ago, it took a full year of learning one pose until my brain and body part connected to do the pose properly. On my own, I would have continued to blunder along.
Foul shots are a great example because you can put in your time but never improve until your form is corrected and you are willing to spend months being awkward.
I had colleagues who never improved as professors because they wouldn't get out of their comfortable mindsets and patterns.
Doctors who learn to hear keywords and follow a script are technicians, not healers.
Of course, beyond this is how we walk in the world.
I can go on and on, but to change, we have to be willing to consider that there is another way.
Firstly I want to apologise. It was remiss of me to mention Kael Crof and Anat Baniel without providing more context on their use of "try differently".
But you amply found your way to Anat Baniel and I think have grasped what she is about (to the extent that I understand it at least, I'm relatively new to her method as well). I love your descriptions of yoga and your yoga experiences. Being uncomfortable is... well uncomfortable, but the rewards are so rich!
The willingness to be uncomfortable or "to submit" to learn is something Matthew B Crawford talks about at length in his book "The World Beyond Your Head", if you're looking for another reason to read it!
In the following podcast (https://open.spotify.com/episode/6LCFxefeLcEzsSDVnWY97g), Kael Croft defined therapy as "change" and the goal being to "do things differently". From memory he said words along the lines of...(paraphrasing) because if you try to do better, you are restricting yourself, closing off potential options. It seems to me similar to Anat Baniel's emphasis on "variation" in her therapy.
(A sidenote, Anat Baniel's teacher Moshe Feldenkrais, founder of the Feldenkrais Method, learnt judo from its founder - Jigoro Kando. I mention this as you have mentioned Japanese therapies and kaizen in other columns of yours).
One of the metrics for hiring in my university department is number of years teaching experience. This is forced upon us by HR: more years, more "points". So this metric becomes a component of an overall score for each individual applicant.
And yet, I look around at my colleagues, and I see that teaching effectiveness seems to have nothing at all to do with years of experience. Certainly, people can improve in their effectiveness over time (I know I have), but what separates good teachers from ineffective teachers is desire to be effective and love of the work: attention to teaching, prioritizing teaching among one's other responsibilities.
I observed the same during my years in academia. Faculty who disliked teaching, never improved and were sure students were to blame. They did nothing about their mindset because they were certain they saw the world objectively.
I'm old enough to retire, but the main reason I haven't is because I love teaching. The other primary reason is that I can't think of anything better to do with my time :·)
Thanks Prof Brownstein.
I'm intrigued by the closing remarks "In Ericsson’s words, “The solution is not ‘try harder’ but rather ‘try differently.’”" I'd love to hear more about this!
I've heard similar sentiments expressed, although in very different contexts, by clinical psychologist Kael Croft and physical therapist Anat Baniel.
Kylee, Thanks for the new resources. Baniel's page made me think of learning yoga. It is so easy to groove into the body poor form. When a trained instructor coaches you up, you have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable as you begin the frustrating part of undoing.
I remember that decades ago, it took a full year of learning one pose until my brain and body part connected to do the pose properly. On my own, I would have continued to blunder along.
Foul shots are a great example because you can put in your time but never improve until your form is corrected and you are willing to spend months being awkward.
I had colleagues who never improved as professors because they wouldn't get out of their comfortable mindsets and patterns.
Doctors who learn to hear keywords and follow a script are technicians, not healers.
Of course, beyond this is how we walk in the world.
I can go on and on, but to change, we have to be willing to consider that there is another way.
Thank you Prof Bronwnstein.
Firstly I want to apologise. It was remiss of me to mention Kael Crof and Anat Baniel without providing more context on their use of "try differently".
But you amply found your way to Anat Baniel and I think have grasped what she is about (to the extent that I understand it at least, I'm relatively new to her method as well). I love your descriptions of yoga and your yoga experiences. Being uncomfortable is... well uncomfortable, but the rewards are so rich!
The willingness to be uncomfortable or "to submit" to learn is something Matthew B Crawford talks about at length in his book "The World Beyond Your Head", if you're looking for another reason to read it!
In the following podcast (https://open.spotify.com/episode/6LCFxefeLcEzsSDVnWY97g), Kael Croft defined therapy as "change" and the goal being to "do things differently". From memory he said words along the lines of...(paraphrasing) because if you try to do better, you are restricting yourself, closing off potential options. It seems to me similar to Anat Baniel's emphasis on "variation" in her therapy.
(A sidenote, Anat Baniel's teacher Moshe Feldenkrais, founder of the Feldenkrais Method, learnt judo from its founder - Jigoro Kando. I mention this as you have mentioned Japanese therapies and kaizen in other columns of yours).
Thank you for the added resources, Kylee.
I have started to read, and I am enjoying Crawford's book.
Morita and Naiken therapies are coming to Mindset Shifts U. I will announce the details this week.
Thanks Prof Brownstein. Looking forward to them!