I am designing a college-level teaching course. This time it is for my core expertise. Since I have studied the subject long enough, I know the subject well...I think....well enough to talk about it and teach comfortably. There is not much "stretch", meaning that I don't have to teach a subject that I am not as familiar with.
I am reading a book about this "stretch" in teaching. Namely, "Teaching what you don't know" by Therese Huston. The title can be already provocative. Teachers are supposed to teach something they know well, right?..Well, not necessarily in this world. On occasion situation demands teachers to teach a subject that are not their core expertise (like a biochemist specialized for protein dynamics has to teach biology of Fat). And that happens maybe more often than you think.
In such a situation, the teacher may feel he is an imposter. It may be a natural reaction because he has been trained to take his expertise seriously, and excellence in his tiny research field has been the requirement to get his degree and his position.
However, now he's got to teach something out of his expertise. Given the situation, there are some questions come up. Is the teaching by a "stretched" teacher ineffective? (The author says not necessarily). What can the teacher do to better prepare for the course? What kind of strategies and tactics can he use in the classroom for better teaching?
There are many thought provoking issues in this book. I am enjoying reading the book both from intellectual and practical standpoints. For me it is easy to relate to.
What would you do if (when) you find yourself in the situation? How comfortable would you be to teach something you don't know well?
