Not Enough Instruction

As mentioned before, I have had the pleasure of instructing people in various learning environments. I am a full-time high school teacher in a career and technical school, and an adjunct professor that teaches pre-service and in-service teachers how to infuse technology in the classroom. I teach software applications, such as Final Cut Pro, to professionals, and I provide professional development for various school districts throughout the United States. One thing that I have learned from these experiences is that you can’t please everyone.

One of the biggest criticisms I have received from those who have experienced my instruction is, and I quote from a recent review, “Not enough instruction given. Left on my own to figure out how to do stuff!” Let’s pause and think about that for a minute...Draw your own conclusion about that statement...Post a message on Facebook about it...Tweet about it... if not Google it... and see what you can find. You see, over the years I have received similar comments about students having to learn independently, which I will personally stand by 100%. I have been called to the office many times to explain why I encourage students to learn things on their own. The problem is, these complaints are coming from teachers, and I find this to be very difficult to handle. However, it is the expectations that these teachers may have for their own students that is disheartening.

You hear stories from students about how they function in other teachers’ classes. Things like, “I don’t do anything all year and just do the extra credit to pass”; “I don’t have to do my homework because as long as I show up, I can pass”; “I don’t have to study because my teacher reviews the test with us the day before and he/she reads straight from the test.” And the list goes on and on. I can only imagine what is happening in the classrooms of the teachers who complain about being held accountable.

In fact, I received an e-mail from one adult student (an in-service teacher) after a 2-hour class on GarageBand, asking if I could provide more information about exporting her project. What strikes me about the situation is that a simple Google search could have provided her more information instantaneously than I could have provided in a response to the e-mail. I responded within an hour of the e-mail with several links to Podcasts on iTunes, tutorials on Apple’s website, and various videos on YouTube. By sending these links I was hoping to provide the student with various resources that she could use in her classroom. However, at the next class she complained that I didn’t provide a direct answer and that she still needed to watch a video to get the answer.

Maybe it’s me, but I was baffled by the situation. I would think that this teacher would be more receptive to assignments that teach critical thinking, problem-solving, etc. I would think that she wouldn’t want the answer simply provided for her. I would have expected a teacher amongst all of my students to want to master the material, so they could know how to assist their students in their classrooms. By me simply answering the question with a quick, “click here, click there,” that individual wouldn’t know how to get the answers when her students ask her for assistance. As mentioned in the article, “Characteristics of 21st Century Teachers,” you don’t always need to know the answer; but you should at least know where to get it.