What is teaching . . .
Or wouldn't it be nice to beat your granny at Scrabble?
by Christian Derasp

---

Dear fellow ARists,

A month ago, I played Scrabble (in French...W is worth 10 points) with my 85 years old grandmother. She won. She completed her Grade 8 learning mostly by rote and had a full life as a woman who raised 13 kids while developing special interests such as beating one of her many grandchildren at board games later on in life.

In Grade 8, Pierre Goulet and I were in the same Technology class. He was great at understanding and fixing things with his hands. I wrote the reports. We were an A+ team. A couple of years later, Pierre ended up in a vocational program at another high school to become a plumber. In order to get his diploma, he had to pass the provincial French test. I wrote the test for him. He is now a great plumber but still wouldn't stand a chance to beat my grandma at Scrabble.

Myself, I loved school. I saw school as a place of opportunities to learn a whole range of skills that had very little to do with what was learned in class. My strength my writing stories and articles in French. I ended up being pretty good with words, but from time to time, my Grandmother beats me at Scrabble.

The three above cases have in common one thing: Rob's question, "What is teaching?". What an exciting question for teachers! My way of answering it would be by asking another question: "What is learning, or rather, how do people learn best in the limiting framework of our school system? Teaching is taking into account the various learning styles and needs of our students. Grandma learned well by rote. She studied at a time when opportunities for a French-Canadian country girl were limited to later bearing children or becoming a catholic nun. What society wanted her to understand was well embedded in the school, the church and the family. Learning by rote taught her how to read, write and count. The church taught her how to think. The family taught her solid values. With all that, she was equipped to face life.

Pierre Goulet could not write a sentence without making less than five spelling mistakes. The teachers said he was stupid. In my book, he was the brightest guy I knew. In high school, he dusted off old photographic equipment, and at 15, he taught dozens of people how to develop their own films. He fixed Skidoos, tractors, snow blowers and cars. One winter, he showed me how to make an ice rink. The teachers thought he was stupid. He is now a successful plumber who charges double his old teachers.

By Grade 10 and 11, I was bored in class. I joined the student council and spent most of my time booking Rock bands for school concerts, organizing trips and running our student cafe. I am still trying to explain to my Mom why I had 180 unjustified absences in my final high school year.

A few years later, it is my turn to stand in front of a group and teach. I can't skip class anymore. However, everyday I ask myself, "Who I am teaching to?" To my Grandma, who learns best in a highly structured way?, To Pierre Goulet, who keeps forgetting everything that has any academic significance but who is so terribly brilliant in other areas? To myself, who gets the point rather quickly and is ready for something else?

For me then, teaching is to try to meet the most learning styles possible within time, resource, administration and system constraints. Teaching is also believing that we are part of a group of professionals who are taking the flame where I left it as much as I was ready to carry it when it was my turn. It is a delicate balancing act.

It is also late now. Back to teaching tomorrow. I am looking forward to receive new piles.

See y'all tomorrow,

Christian