Teaching

Before pursuing my PhD, I was a classical guitarist. Two of the most memorable experiences as a guitarist were: (1) unknowingly taking a gig to play background music for a catholic convention in which hundreds of nuns showed up, and (2) traveling across Cuba playing concerts and elementary schools.

While the former was just a bizarre once in a lifetime experience, the latter was eye opening. At each city, the students would take out their guitars, tres cubanos, and cuatros, and shred. We’d play for them, and they’d play for us. And often, they were better than us. These kids didn’t need to speak our language to show us what they knew. Their fingers did the talking.

Music is honest like that. You can either play the piece or you can’t. You either sound good or you don’t. I always appreciated that objectivity, and it’s something I carry into my approach to higher education.

Sound before sight. Experience, then label. If I can’t understand a theory, I look for its simplest application. Once I grasp that, the rest starts to make sense. This is how I learn best. And I bring that same mindset into the classroom.

Currently I am teaching python to undergraduates. I don’t want students to just read about coding, I want them to do it.

Another great way to teach is through demonstration. My wife’s favorite movie is School of Rock. In the movie the main character, Dewey Finn, jokes “Those who can’t do, teach. Those who can’t teach, teach at the gym.” I disagree. The best way to teach is the classic I do, we do, you do system. And, by Jack Black’s logic, if you can’t do it, you can’t teach.