The Intrinsic Worth of the Teacher

52 Weeks of Steiner – Week 16  (This is part of a weekly serial started on Michaelmas 2023. To see the other entries, please see the post linked HERE and scroll down to the bottom for individual links)

After finishing the lecture compilation Practical Advice to Teachers, and creating my previous post The Four Principles for Teachers, I felt called to read Discussions with Teachers. The closing remarks are actually included in both compilations so for the next few weeks I will be sharing nuggets from some of the lectures in this series. Today’s quote is actually from the introduction by Craig Giddens

In order to start from an example, let us first take the teacher speaking to children. As far as his speaking is concerned, actually the very least depends upon his genius and wisdom. As to whether we can teach mathematics or geography well, the very, very least will depend upon whether we ourselves are good mathematicians, or good geographers. We can be outstanding geographers, but poor teachers of geography. The intrinsic worth of the teacher, which surely rests in large measure upon his speaking, depends upon what he has previously felt and experienced about the things to be presented, and the kinds of feelings which are again stirred up by the fact that he has a child before him.

Rudolf Steiner
On the Art of Lecturing, GA 339 Lecture 1

I haven’t ever read or heard of these lectures before, so it was interesting to read the first one to see the context of the quote above.

I know that there are many times I feel like I don’t “know enough” to teach a certain subject. Especially during these high school years! But I don’t think any of us has escaped the teacher who was wonderfully brilliant but a horrible teacher. Looking back, those are the subjects that I carry the least memory of when it comes to content. It certainly didn’t speak to me on a soul level, and it most certainly didn’t leave any trails on my intellect.

This passage really has me thinking about my delivery. In the earlier years, I was more able to pre-learn concepts, and I know that my connection to the material directly influenced how the content was received by my children. In fact, if I felt a disconnect with the material, I took a cold hard look at what I was bringing and got to the root of what the disconnect was about. Sometimes that meant taking a different route, sometimes it just meant spending more time with the material until I could individualize it well.

With high school aged children I feel like we are doing much more learning at the same time, or almost at the same time, than me pre-learning everything. Especially when it comes to math and science. And while generally I feel okay about this, I do wonder if I have stopped paying as much attention to my delivery and the spirit I hold within me during these lessons. What I have “previously felt and experienced about the things to be presented” really wasn’t anything positive, as these were subjects I struggled with in high school and was left feeling inadequate and incapable. So “the kinds of feelings which are again stirred up by the fact that he has a child before him” aren’t the best! I realized today that these feelings are being stirred up and my children can feel it. 

So what am I to do?

I think it means taking a step back and creating a new connection with these subjects. Consciously choosing to see them and myself in a different light so that when I bring new concepts to my children it isn’t weighed down by my own past experiences.

It is easier said than done. But just like the four principles I shared the other day, this is the work of a teacher. To continually do the inner work so that what we bring speaks to the children without hindering them.

I’ve got some work to do…

Until next time,
Marina