Sveneric
This evening, rather than go out to the dojo to throw around, Talal and I threw in a martial arts training video and watched it. This video showed my teacher, Sveneric, teaching the basics of our martial art. Midway through the video, Sveneric discussed the need for having a good foundation and checking it often. As I listened to what he had to say, I related it to more than martial arts. I related it to being an adult educator. First, the story about the foundation.
Build Your Foundation Without Stopping There
Sveneric compared learning this martial art to the building of a house. He commented that the basics, or kihon were like the foundation. Without a good foundation, your house could not stand. Yet if you focus only on the foundation, you will build high walls, but it will result in nothing but a hole. You must develop the foundation, and then continue to build the rest of the house for your enjoyment. He also mentioned that to continue to enjoy your house, you should not just furnish it, and beautify it. You must also regularly go down in the basement and check on the foundation. Basically, don’t forget the basics.
Check the Foundations of Your Teaching
So what does this have to do with adult educators?
Teaching, like many other disciplines, has a foundation. It has principles, theories, methods, strategies, and techniques. Some basics are essential if we want to help others learn. Yet as I listen to discussions about campus among educators, these basic principles seem to be ignored.
In Wlodkowski’s book, Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn: A Comprehensive Guide for Teaching All Adults, he mentions that one characteristic of a motivating instructor is expertise. An educator must not only have knowledge of their subject matter, but they must also be skilled at preparing and delivering instruction. “Brilliant and scholarly people at the zenith of their professions are notorious for poorly prepared instruction” (Wlodkowski, 2008, p. 54).
Spending time checking the foundation is necessary to prevent the rest of the house from suffering. If learners are not learning, perhaps educators need to attend to the basics of their instruction.
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