13178: Advice, Please: Switching Seats From Teacher To Student?
Hey there, hero!
I’m just starting the process of taking a course, and I’m looking for advice from you.
Whether you formally teach others or not, we all make the move from showing others how to do something to learning how to do things ourselves.
What do you do to be as open as possible to the great things headed your way? How do you combat the assumptions you’ve made about something you’re learning? What do you do to quiet the distractions?
What are your best practices as a learner?
I’d like to maximize my level of success in this course I’m taking, and I’d love to hear your best practices.
Let me know in the comments below.
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Raw transcript:
Raw transcript:
I’m in the middle right now of taking a
course rather than teaching a course and
I found it just a shade interesting
switching from
teaching to
learning and I wonder if you could share
with me some of your tips on that for
those of you that do teach people from
time to time hey we we we we’ll talk
about this in this episode of the vo
Heroes podcast
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I’m David H Lawrence the 17th if you
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we talk about here um I am in the
process of creating a new uh piece of my
business and a new way of taking care of
my clients and I’m taking a course on it
I want to learn how to do it best of
breed world class I want to I I really
want to do it rather than just kind of
pity patting at it you know trying to uh
you know put to use what I share with my
clients about learning
things and I’m not usually in that seat
I’m not usually sitting in the group of
of seats in a classroom that is looking
at an instructor I’m usually the
instructor and it’s been an interesting
thing for me to be aware of that and to
just notice it and say okay David you
don’t have to worry about how they’re
teaching just worry about the content
there’s no reason for you to think about
their microphone and how it could be
better or their camera and how it could
be better or there slides and how it
could be better just pay attention to
the content and just being aware of that
and
being uh attuned to that sort of switch
was a revelation for me it really was
you know I I I’m going to remember this
for the future and I just want to ask
you for some help I want to find out
from you if you do consult people teach
people coach people help people with
particular things maybe you’ve got
expertise in something outside of acting
or voiceover or writing that you help
people with your core uh superpower
whatever that
is what do you find to be a challenge
and how do you meet that challenge when
you have to switch from helping somebody
else to getting help yourself that’s the
core of what I have for you today I have
some things that I’ve done you know
really concentrate on what’s going on
making sure that I take a spoonful of my
own medicine and turn off my cell phone
and you know minimize the chatter going
on in my head and really kind of zooming
in on things but I’d love to hear from
you if there are any tips strategies
tactics that you use use when you’re
switching to student mode to learning
mode let me know in the comments below
wherever you’re watching this video I’d
love to hear from you and and find out
what they are because you know it’s not
a chall it’s not a struggle but I’d like
to do better at it I’d like to be able
to just sit down learn not sit down and
have a filter of hm I wonder why he’s
doing that I wonder why she’s doing that
uh yeah so can you help me out can you
help a guy out
uh let me know uh I I’d love to hear
from you and see what it is that you do
so comment below be kind please uh I’m
David H Lawrence the 17th I thank you
for your help in advance and I will see
you in the next episode of the vo Heroes
podcast
[Music]
(from YouTube)
There’s a certain amount of humility in putting oneself back into the place of a learner. The challenge I suppose consists in owning in a practical way that we still have a lot to learn; success really consists in setting up the head game—just as with acting. So…play the role of an earnest student.
Openness! I often switch from “director” mode to “actor being directed” mode, and I need to be mindful while doing it, which is what I hear you saying you’re trying to do. Or rather… doing. Sometimes I’m receiving comments/directions and I find myself judging the person as less skillful or less experienced. But when I consciously let go of those judgements and listen to the comment and see what there is in it that I can use, I always find something useful to think about or try or notice. It’s a little different in my situation, because a director is seeing me from the outside, and can notice things I’m not aware of, but I think the principle of openness to receiving new information in a non-judgmental way is the same.
Breathe. Listen. Breathe. Listen. Breathe. Listen…
I teach, coach and direct. I find that reminding myself of what role I am playing is a good thing to do. Yes, my mind does take note and/or ask questions like “Why are they doing that or saying it that way”. And I bring myself back to reminding me to pay attention to the lesson or the direction and get whatever information is for me.
When being directed by someone else, its easier to let go and be an actor. Of course I notice things that feel off to me or that could be done differently (better, in my opinion) however I figure I have something to learn or else I wouldn’t be involved in this particular situation.
Sometimes, its easier to be the student and sometimes the silly voice that always gives me trouble rears its head, making it more difficult to listen. I tell the pesky little bugger to take a rest.
Listen, with an open heart and a mind like a sponge.
I’ve been teaching martial arts for 30 years. I’m mostly teaching but when I’m learning I try to be flexible and not get caught up in thinking I know everything. I try to be open minded to other interpretations and methodologies. I try to find something of value. It’s rare that there is nothing of value, but it happens. I simply try to be open minded.
Engage with the instructor. Online or IRL, be the student that they can rely on for feedback that their message is (or isn’t) getting through.