Now as an educator it’s an important thing to never give up on the learning enterprise oneself. However noble I feel it is to be autodidact, sometimes it doesn’t hurt to have someone facilitate the learning process. Now my friend Shaun has guided me up many a steep learning curve (for example sailing and its various intricacies) and allowed me to prove myself a slow but tenacious learner. He also recently volunteered to guide me through the treacherous streets of Sydney on my postie bike. I don’t know if I just feel more confident with fellow rider so I take more risks, but on both occasions I have managed to come off the bike, although not impact on anything other than the hard asphalt road.
There’s a saying that the worst students make the best teachers and I imagine that it may be said vice versa. It’s not just one of those uplifting proverbs that are brought out once “Those who can’t do, teach” has worn out its welcome, I think it has a grain of truth in it. You can’t teach something you have a natural aptitude for without a lot of experience because you won’t understand the difficulties someone else may have. Or worst, you’ll have no empathy for your student (What?! Why can’t you conjugate appeler in past, present and future tense. I’ve already shown you the rule!).
The way I’m going I think I’ll make an excellent postie bike instructor. Alternatively, I could fork out $1200 and buy a new gear hub for my Brompton OR develop some awesome calves going up Mary-Ann Street in 4th gear.
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