FIG. 2.1 Selections from the Air Corps teachers’ manual. (Adapted fromAir Corps Technical
Schools Teachers’ Manual, April 9, 1942)
DEFINING TEACHING“Essentially, teaching is the process of assisting other people to learn the things you al-
ready know. A simple definition of teaching follows: Teaching is helping learners to ac-
quire new knowledge or skills. Teaching consists, mainly, oftelling,showing,guiding the
learner in performance tasksand thenmeasuring the results. Whenever you have shown
someone how to do something; such as kicking a football, or pitching a curve, or fixing a
flat, you have been teaching. The success of the Air Corps in fulfilling its mission, like your
success, depends upon the success of the graduates from your classes.”RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TEACHER- Teachers must know thoroughly the subject they are to teach. Teachers must be
able to separate the nonessential content from the whole subject. - Teachers must look at the course from the learner’s point of view. They must put
themselves in the other fellow’s place and ask whether the instruction is getting across. A
teacher must show students the “how” and the “why” of each operation, tell them what to
look for, or what to do at each step. This means analyzing step by step what the teacher
does so easily and then explaining each step to the students. Teachers must also see that
students continue in the correct way until they have mastered the operation. - Teachers must know what results to expect as standard performance of the job.
- Teachers should develop to the utmost their skill as instructors. Teachers must pre-
sent work clearly, set high standards and have students meet them, at the same time
maintaining a cheerful, sympathetic attitude toward the class and arousing in them an in-
terest in the job and real enthusiasm for it. “Without enthusiasm,” said Emerson, “nothing
great was ever accomplished.” An interested, enthusiastic instructor who knows the sub-
ject will generally have students who are interested and engaged in purposeful activity.
PROFESSIONAL TRAITS OF THE TEACHER- Mastery of your subject is necessary. You can teach others only what you know
yourself. You must do more than know your subject, however. You must so vitalize it by ty-
ing it up with the experiences, the needs, and the problems of your students that its im-
portance will be clear to them. The successful instructor’s knowledge of the subject must
be far broader than any text being used. A teacher reads widely and continues studying to
keep abreast of the latest developments in the subject and allied fields. In a word, a
teacher is both thorough and up-to-date in his or her knowledge of the subject. A teacher
maintains a professional attitude toward the work. - Executive ability is required to manage the affairs of the class in a businesslike fash-
ion. This involves detailed planning of the course, the securing and distribution of supplies
and equipment, the keeping of records, the reduction of waste, the adjustments of the
program to the needs of students, the making of reports, and the examination and rating
of students. - Most important of all is skill in teaching. The instructor must develop the knack of
“getting a lesson across to a class,” to give students new knowledge, understanding, and
skills, new insight into what was unclear before, new power to use such knowledge and
abilities as they already have to do the old jobs better or the new jobs well. This is a task
calling for the utmost in personal industry and resourcefulness, but it is a task that brings
profound satisfaction. A knowledge of the principles and facts underlying the science of
teaching is not enough. One must have, also, the ability or the art to apply this knowledge
in teaching a subject to a class.
RESPONSIBILITIES 39