My Teaching Metaphor, Take 1

To me, teaching means being a kind of tour guide. But let me clairfy that. Not the kind of tour guide you might get at a boring museum of expensive artifacts or pieces of artwork, the kind that ushers class field trips around commanding "whisper!" and "don't touch!" Oh no. Not that kind. PLEASE don't let me become that kind of teacher. Rather, I see teaching as being the tour guide you might get on a trek through a foreign land. Or when you find yourself wandering aimlessly and uneasily in a completely unknown wilderness, filled with quicksand, poisonous snakes, and other perils. It is my job as tour guide not only to usher students safely through the obstacles they face on their journey, but also to help them understand and come to terms with the sights they see and the experiences they have throughout their education. It is my job to draw their interest to the things they might otherwise gawk at in confusion, or even worse, walk by without a second glance. I am to draw their attention to these things. I am to point them out, to explain their significance, to demonstrate an authentic passion for these important aspects of the journey that will impress each one upon the minds of these "explorers." It is my responsibility to make the random jumble of sights and sounds make sense to them. Not only that, but I must make sure they get a comprehensive view of the lands they are exploring. I can not lead them forever around the jungle, however wildly exciting it is, if there are big cities, open plains, and sandy beaches yet to be seen. A complete tour must include all parts of the terrain of the land through which they are travelling. And when it finally ends, the explorers should be able not just to survive, but to thrive there, understanding and appreciating the whole place and its culture. In the end, the guide should no longer be necessary, and the explorers are capable of continuing to grow and develop on their own from the base of understanding built by their faithful guide.