And, Yes, Sometimes Teachers Do Know Best
Date: September 19, 2024
Teachers take the brunt of a lot of jokes. There are even nursing rhymes mocking these professionals. Most students, at one time or another, have rolled their eyes or even outright disagreed with an instructor. However, have you stopped to think that educators can be right about a lot of things? After all, to be an educator, one must obtain a lot of education.
Higher Education
In California, state regulations require educators to have at least 5 years of higher education.1 So, in all, the average teacher has likely spent at least 17 years in school. This means your teacher(s) have spent countless hours reading, testing, and training regarding their field. Further, if they have specialized, they have likely undergone more advanced years of training than this. They may have also passed state boards and/or defended doctoral theses.
That said, your professors may have something to say. And they may be more worthy of your respect than you once thought.
Gurnick Academy has a lot of teachers. Their primary goal is to provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to graduate. Moreover, they wish to see students obtain their professional credentials. For example, vocational nursing licenses enter the professional world as nurses after passing state boards. Therefore, when new students apply to our vocational nursing school, they trust their instructors to supply them with expert knowledge and skills to obtain their goals.
New Material
Often, instructors must provide students with entirely new material in class. They often must introduce them to a new vocabulary and guide them in industry-appropriate learning techniques and methods. Often, they instruct in ways that help their pupils memorize materials quickly and efficiently.
These techniques may sometimes seem time-consuming and tedious. An example is the repetitive rewriting of notes or the re-drawing of precise diagrams and pictures. However painful as these may seem to students, such exercises can be incredibly beneficial. These exercises have proven time and time again to be the most effective methods for triggering short-term memory conversion into long-term memory.
Yes, students speak out, and our teachers care about their opinions. In one recent case, students preferred not to do these exercises and attempted a different approach. Our teaching staff listened and gave students a chance to try a new method.
A Better Method
However, after a brief trial, students themselves saw that their perception of a “better method” for studying and memorizing was far less effective. They readily agreed to return to the method used originally by the instructor. Yet, the students were glad because they felt heard and knew their views were considered. At the same time, these students gained a higher appreciation for an old and proven method.
We all must try the new every so often to appreciate the old. And occasionally, an experienced teacher knows what works best in learning. However, a wise teacher, like a discerning leader, has to balance the fine line between giving up control and being entirely in charge. And yes, sometimes teachers really do know best!
Want to Learn From Our Teachers?
This might be a good time to find out what our teachers know. “Overall employment in healthcare occupations is projected to grow 13 percent from 2021–2031, much faster than the average for all occupations; this increase is expected to result in about 2 million new jobs over the decade.”1 Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts is an allied healthcare school that trains young healthcare professionals.~
Citation:
1 “Do You Need to Have a Teaching Degree to Teach in California?” National University, December 17, 2021. (Accessed September 20, 2024.)
2 “Healthcare Occupations. Occupational Outlook Handbook. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.” Www.bls.gov. (Accessed October 26, 2022.)