Before you tell a teacher how to teach

I’m always amazed at how many people speak about or make policies about teaching without knowing the pedagogy behind how students learn.

Everything You Wanted to Know About the Theories Behind Teaching

This cool graphic by Robert Millwood, shows just how much research goes into understanding how people learn. Teachers study learning theory in education school, then continue to learn current research as it develops, and fit it into what they already know about learning.

Surgeons know how to operate. Accountants know how to do taxes. Athletes know how to play their sport. Musicians make music. It would never occur to me to tell any of them how to do their job.  Or leave them out of the decision-making process when new initiatives would impact their work.

When it comes to educating children, who are the experts here?