Hard work, not a halo

Are good teachers natural born educators? Rarely that’s the case, according to this interview on Talk of the Nation. Doug Lemov says they’re made. Are they made by a formula?

And the answer is, no, it’s not a formula – that behind every artist is an artisan, that you learn the techniques, you master the tools. You know, I use an analogy in the book of a sculptor. That to be a great sculptor, first you have to learn to handle a hammer and a chisel. There are concrete techniques you have to do to make the chisel run across the rock. But then to be a great artist, you apply it with discretion and mastery.

There are some interesting examples of good teachers in action and some good exchanges from listeners. You can read the transcript or listen to the show at the link above.