By Todd Finley
Teaching is not natural.
The public believes, incorrectly, that classroom instruction is as natural as showing your child how fish or helping a nephew play Ms. Pac-Man. But those comparisons don’t take into account the profoundly specialized discourse of K-12 instruction.
Answering a learners question with a question, creating a holistic rubric, or take a deep breath facilitating a high-level discussion of new content on the Thursday before prom with 35 diverse students two of whom present ADHD behaviors while an administrator evaluates you . . . all of this requires a ridiculous constellation of specialized, unnatural skills.
That alien skill set means that even the most brilliant teachers cannot just wing it. They have to plan.