In the past month, coincidentally, I have qualified as a volunteer assistant teacher to help people with literacy and computer skills, and as a volunteer trainer at a large eastern suburbs dog obedience club.
What I had not expected was how similar the pedagogical skills are. Of course, any experienced teacher is going to say, βWell, der; thatβs so obvious β it applies to every studentβ. But much of it was new to me, whether broad principle or particular tactic.
When it comes to dog training, first train the human.Credit: iStock
For example, it was emphasised that with any group, the lessons should be interesting, accessible, engaging and enjoyable β something I didnβt really appreciate as a philosophy tutor at Melbourne University 30 years ago β with plenty of questions to keep students alert and involved.
And, to cite an example of the particular, in both classes I am advised not to stand behind and look over the studentβs shoulder because it can be distracting and intimidating to human and dog alike.
Marie, the Marquise de Sevigne, wrote in the 17th century: βThe more I see of men, the more I admire dogs.β
This is a generally sane and sound axiom but at obedience club, we are not training dogs but their handlers. In a class of 12 dogs for an hour a week, we canβt teach individual dogs; we try to teach their people to teach them (and get them to practise during the week).
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One of the most critical attributes in both classes, which I had underestimated, is patience.
Jesus is the perfect model as a teacher: infinitely patient and gentle with those who want to learn, yet equally authoritative and wise, as we see in biblical anecdote after anecdote. His ability to discern what individuals need, and then meet it, is incredible.