I have learned that you cannot teach someone who doesn’t want to learn or grow. Without that desire, there is no use in advising or coaching them, because it just won’t work. People reach a particular level of knowledge because their interests and motivations bring them to a point, but then they don’t want to learn anything in a greater depth unless they can see some kind of tangible benefit.
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It is my belief that this stems from a subconscious (or conscious at times) belief that to learn something is tantamount to admitting you didn’t know something.
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Many instructors believe they already know everything they need to know, and they don’t feel the need for any new development or growth……. On the other hand, the best instructors understand that they’ll never know enough.
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Some instructors actually pride themselves on the things they don’t know. They like to run things in the way that suits them. This way of thinking comes across as arrogant and it’s often a matter of pride, combined with a bit of defensiveness about their lack of knowledge.
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An instructor who is not questioning is not learning. The smartest instructors are perpetual students—they have the mindset of learning something new all the time. But many times they don’t think they need to know anything new, simply because they don’t exercise enough curiosity to discover the gaps in what they already think they know.
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An instructor who doesn’t know how to face those gaps in their knowledge, will always maintain some degree of ignorance. Insight can have as much power and value as knowledge. And developing that insight means you have to be willing to approach the open questions, to acknowledge that there are some things you don’t know. It means opening up a different side of yourself…… Be open minded.
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Development and growth should be synonymous with who you are as an instructor. The best instructors insist on finding new ways to learn and grow, because they understand their growth determines who they are—and, ultimately, their success.
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If you want to be a successful instructor you must be open to development and growth. The best instructors will always remain teachable, always a student, always searching for more. ??
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? Photo Credit: Kuro Obi World: Kotaro Iha 10th dan Ryu Kon Kai, Ryukyu Kobudo & Akihito Yagi 8th dan Meibukan Goju Ryu