This is a post I wrote for the Titleist Performance Institute and while it speaks directly to those who are golf instructors and coaches, the principles apply to any type of teaching and coaching.
Enjoy!
"During an interview on “Morning
Drive,” Golf Digest senior writer Matthew Rudy explained how the magazine
compiled its annual guide of the best teachers in the U.S. He said that the teachers selected are “best”
not simply because they have a keen understanding of the physics of a golf
swing. They’re “best” because in
addition to their knowledge and skill they have the ability to inspire their
players to believe that they can do better – that they can do it.
Who were your best teachers – in
school and on the green? What made them
“best” for you?
I’ve been both a student and a
teacher and I’m now convinced that genuine teachers do two things really well:
they engage and they connect. A true
teacher engages with the facts and mechanics of the skill they’re
teaching. Because they’re engaged, they
continually find ways to make their knowledge understandable. In addition, a true teacher connects with
students through trust.
Skill + engagement + trust = an
outstanding teacher and coach. All three
are important in equal measure. A
teacher with technical know-how but who is unable to connect and inspire is
simply an instruction manual, while a teacher who can motivate but who has an
average skill-set is a well-intentioned cheerleader!
The criteria for assessing
teachers’ know-how are more established than for assessing their ability to
inspire. Oftentimes it’s a case of “I’ll
know it when I see it.” But how is
connection made? How is trust
established?
The surest way to connect with
someone you’re teaching or coaching is. . ."
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