One of the great things about teaching is research. I stand on the shoulders of giants for everything I teach. I look at the work that came before me, using some of it and discarding what does not fit into the theme and methodology I am trying to teach. I say this from across a mess of textbooks, reading guides, and speciality information books stacked in piles based on the specific course they enhance. I think that’s the thing I’ve learned. There are three pillars of teaching–not the two I originally thought existed.
I’ve always operated under the premise that teaching is about being able to reach an audience and help them understand material they struggle to understand and interpret on their own. The second pillar of responsibility there is to create conditions in which students can apply this newfound knowledge to real-life scenarios.
That leads us to the third pillar. Not only is it the responsibility of the instructor to stay current with the subject, but it is also the responsibility of the instructor to incorporate all types and styles of information about the subject matter into the curriculum. This is especially true of writing classes where there isn’t just one way to write a paper. On the other hand, there are so many ways to compose writing and to schedule and plan a writing life that you cannot explain everything over the course of a semester. Therefore it is important to pick and choose the materials to use and by that create an informational identity for yourself and your courses.
This helps to explain why people learn different stuff from different teachers of the same subject. Our informational identities are different. We teach what we know and what we continue to learn about.