Those Who Can, Do...

There's an old saying that "Those who can, do, those who can't, teach." This is actually a true statement, but I have heard it grossly misapplied to teachers! I know that sounds odd, but let me explain.

This is not talking about school teachers, it is talking about professionals. Doctors who can cut it practicing medicine do so, those who can't cut it in practice teach in Medical schools. Likewise nurses who can't cut it in Hospitals either go to nursing homes, or teach other nurses. This applies not only to the medical profession, but across the board. Journalists who can't write teach other journalists, Lawyers who fail at practicing law teach in law schools, politicians who can do virtually nothing often end up teaching. The list goes on and on, but you get the idea. So, the only way this applies to school teachers is, those who can teach do, and those who can't either get cushy Union contracts so they can't be fired, or they teach other teachers.

Good teachers in our schools are not there because they can't do something else, they are there because they love kids, and know how important it is to help kids learn.

There are exceptions to the "...those who can't, teach" rule though. Sometimes, after a lifetime of doing whatever it is that a person has chosen to do, they decide to spend the remaining years of their working life trying to pass on their knowledge to others, or maybe for something to do, part time, in their retirement years.

In any event, the statement holds true, just not for the reasons that some people think.