Taking an old saw to task.
Most people are quite familiar with the saying, “Those who can’t do, teach.” This statement suggests that people who have failed or would be failures in the world outside of academia end up as teachers.…
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
Article comments
26 - GuessWho
To be fair...hell who cares about being fair...
I work with hundreds of teachers...and 90% can't do! Teaching is an over paid profession...in the real world they couldn't tie their own shoelaces.
They do well to get what they do from tax payers. I find it shocking we let these idiots teacher our children! Shocking! Might explain the degrading state of society.
27 - Westfool
Teachers are extremely overpaid at some state schools and possible at private, but who cares about the later (that's known as freedom). I've worked very hard my whole life and learned from people who made a living by people WILLINGLY giving them money. Some teachers use what little power they have to punish students who disagree with them. I've always figured, "Gee listen to people who came from nothing and pay six figures in taxes or listen to this person who gets paid because the other person is under threat of jail." I've had teachers who I've proved to be wrong and had them retaliate when they had a chance to do subjective grading. Sure I could be wrong, but when you ask the teacher to give you an example of what would be correct for what they marked you wrong for and they can't give you an example... tell me that's not vindictive? Or even better when you show them in the book they assigned you to read where you were right with your answer, yet they mark you wrong. They are not "teachers" and a lot of "colleges" are not institutes of "higher learning," but nothing more than institutes for brainwashing.
28 - magnusonart
I honestly have observed the dumbing down of America over the past eighteen years, now removed from "public" education, which in my opinion has left most children behind. My interest and concern is in the area of arts education. In this economic crunch time (even before 2001) we see arts programs leaving the curriculum and school boards justifying the arts and humanities by mandating ALL teachers incorporating the ARTS into their subject matter. Therefore, a non-practicing arts person such as a math or English teacher is told they MUST involve the arts in their classroom: suddenly, the following year an art or music or drama teacher loses his/her job due to budget crunching and the state curriculum justifies this because WE TEACH THE ARTS, because it is mandated in the math, science, English and humanities program. The arts remain frills in schools (infotainment?) while non-specialists have to explain the lush quality of oil painting brushtrokes from a handbook. And the current leader of the free world speaks in three-word sentences (or less, "Go shopping")for us to use as a lead to follow in his example as role model and ultimate promoter of the arts in American education. Or not?
29 - RH
"Those who cannot do, teach" I would argue that this is valid for most teachers (I have had few exceptions in my life). However, I have also found the conjugate to be true: "Those who cannot teach, do".
Most doers and shakers of the world (myself included) find it exceedingly difficult to teach others... often frustratingly so. My worst teachers were all "fresh from the industry".
I put forth a postulate that the process of teaching is so different from the process of doing that learning one does not help the other at all. Teaching involves getting into others heads - doing involves getting into your own. As you pick one or the other, the paycheck begins dictating which pursuit is worth your time.
Had I known the significance of an Apple for the Teacher, from the middle ages, I think I'd have bought more apples for them! I hate meaningless traditions, but I appreciate it more now that I know the causes.
30 - J. Person
Re: As an Adjunct Professor with 10 years teaching experience at 6 New York Colleges, I take great exception to the comment that "the only professors worth a damn were the ones holding multiple jobs. If you have ever taught a college class, you would know that teaching on the college level is like holding multiple jobs and in comparison to many jobs, much harder. Somehow, there is a total misconception that teaching college is not actually working in the real world. Teaching college students is one of the hardest jobs I have ever had and I draw upon all my experiences - teaching, jobs in the business world, graduate school etc... to do my job effectively. A college education is a tool, not a guarantee and you only get out of it what you put into it. Whining about how much you didn't like the experience, dismissing Professors because of the path they took that led them to their current positions (standing in front of you and trying to communicate with you) are only gotten by first getting a B.A., then an M.A., then a doctorate and ending up poor" indicates a truly limited, outdated way of thinking and showcases the ignorance of the writer. If your dissatisfied with the quality of the education you are receiving, then switch schools if you must - but don't carry on about your out of touch professor - Professors do their best to educate those in their classes. It is a semester by semester relationship that takes work and involved participation on the part of both teacher and student to be successful. If you can learn to work for what you want in college (rather than expect someone to simply hand it to you) it will be one of the most important tools that you can add to your "skill set" to help you out there in the "real world". Professor J.Person
31 - Alysia Cosby
"Those who can, do...Those who CARE, teach!"
I am a former Mechanical Engineer, current radio station personality & program director, mother of 4 highly educated children - wife of 1 who I own a business with, writer AND performer...I TEACH HIGH SCHOOL MATH BECAUSE I CARE!!!
I have options, I am educated, and I subject myself to irritations and annoyances throughout the year, because when the light bulbs go on, and my students don't fear math but RISE to the challenge...I KNOW THEIR LIVES HAVE BEEN CHANGED
for the BETTER - permanently!
They decide they LIKE math and feel confidence to succeed in LIFE because they overcame obstacles and solved the "I can't do this" problems and triumphed...
WE TEACH BECAUSE WE CARE!!! Check out my site and spread the word!
Have a peaceful & productive day! :)
32 - LOL
I know several former hedge fund managers who, after losing HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in the most irresponsible manner, become assistant adjunct professors at well known universities, like NYU.
Do you think it is moral that a person who has shown himself unable to manage a portfolio "teaches" young students a subject on "Hedge Fund Strategies"? A person who presents himself as a successful model to imitate?
Would you expose that person? Or would you allow him to keep earning money by deceiving innocent people who pay for his failed wisdom?
I find these people disgusting.
33 - Dana
It think what it boils down to is some people like academia and some don't. In refererence to the business person/teacher in a comment above; my dad is a high school drop out and a very successful business man. He's gifted with numbers.
Do what you love and it won't be work.
34 - beth harper
I think Lori had some strong points. This debate reminds me of the film Art School Confidential. Anyone who has been to art school will relate to this film immediately. It's about how a nepotist gathering of psuedo intellects depsise anyone who is naturally more gifted, and the point we're missing here is that human nature, like academia, the law, religion, politics etc, refuses to accept get it wrong.
I just graduated at photography school, a course where we weren't shown anything- ie lighting skills. In the real world, employers dont want to hear conceptual talk, they want to SEE if you are the best. Of course education is about self exploration and discovery, but the point is the whole journey felt as if the teachers did nothing other than talk about their own work- which which often looked like it were done by a 5 yr old. Also there were many technically creative guys who scored less grades simply because they refused to conform to this nepotist gathering of psuedo intellects, often left wing starving poets whose parents often paid the rent.
35 - V
I like Shari, you are learning.
36 - sands
I'm truly amazed by the information relayed when enquiring about the quote, 'those who can-do,those who can't do-teach.
I am astounded by the inaccurate information provided, but more astounded by the response to justify a quote which was generic. The person behind this website obviously has missed the point.
Those who cannot grasp the mettle, think before you speak.
37 - Cynic
Great article, however at this part:
"The point is not to memorize a sequence of steps to be regurgitated as needed at a future job. Teachers are there to help you learn how to be smart enough to figure out those steps on your own."
I just laughed.
38 - John
"also, I'm a teacher. I have every reason to believe that teachers are great....but I don't. Parents are great. Teaching is just something you do when you're grown up to make money."
Sorry, Nugget, but you're not a teacher. This statement alone shows that you're simply a babysitter with a larger than average paycheck.
True teachers (such as myself and most of my colleagues) are in the profession, nay, the vocation for more than the paycheck. If we truly wanted the pay alone, there are thousands of "better" jobs.
Heck, as an English major (with M.A. and PhD), I could have stayed with my job as a tech writer/inventory control specialist at a NASA contractor and gotten paid more than twice my current salary doing a job I was pretty darn good at. But I would have been depressed, bored (mind numbingly), extremely unhappy, and certainly not the person I am today.
In short, I suggest you look for a new profession, Nugget, and quit screwing over the students you deal with.
39 - Bob Lloyd
Some of those guys who think they can "do", should try teaching :) What they'll find out is that their knowledge of their own field is patchy, narrow, probably ill-informed, almost certainly out of date, and based more on opinion and supposedly infallible rules of thumb. Remember that those who "do" are also the very people who run into so many problems (often the same ones) every day. You know the guys, highly successful bankers selling mortgages, people who tell you they have twenty years' experience when they mean one year repeated twenty times.
If they put themselves in the classroom, they'd find they were suddenly needing to learn about group dynamics, conflict management, psychology, motivation, resource management, time management, pedagogy, speaking skills, along with on-your-feet fast thinking across a wide range of issues. Most of them would get eaten alive.
As someone who's both "done it" and "taught it" I guarantee that doing it is infinitely easier, less stressful, more financially rewarding, and it has the added bonus of not being the butt of criticism.
That companies want schools to take over the training of the workforce is no reason to assume that that's the purpose of education. Some things need higher study of more generic skills.
There's no harm in looking critically at the content of college courses to make sure they're useful and we could make a start by clearing out all the nonsense hocus-pocus courses in ayurvedic medicine, reiki, energy healing, and all the other scams. Ah, but then they're often taught by people who claim they can "do" it, after all they've run businesses based on such scams.
40 - CFR
I believe the ("corrupted") original is by Aristotle: "Those that know, do; those that understand, teach."
41 - Bob
Teachers should make the most money!
The most horrible jobs pay well and enjoyable pay poorly.
Among the low paying jobs:
a) artist - hey art is fun; try to find someone, if you can, who would refuse to be an artist for the same pay as their current job
b) teachers - teaching is fun, kids are fun, sort of; at least compared to below
Among the high paying jobs:
a) prostitute - hmm, let someone use every part of your body inside and out; not fun
b) lawyer - study the gory details of the worst interpersonal disputes then try to convince someone that one side should get some money; not fun.
c) plummer - mess around with the pipes that carry other peoples poop while on your hands and knees; not fun.
42 - beth
the point is liberal art teachers wont 'teach' the students anything worthwile, notably as they fear competition.
43 - Grant
I dont think that saying is attacking teachers in general. People who go to school to BE teachers is not what this is directed toward.
Its more for perhaps a student that goes to school for architecture. Then, once graduated, cant find a job or is not talented enough to make it in his industry so the student decides to teach what he has learned at school instead. Lacking all practical knowledge of the job but teaches just to receive a paycheck.
44 - Chuck Rizzo
Now I suspect that I have my share of qualified competitors out there, but it bothers me to no end how many CONSULTANTS, COACHES, ADVISORS, and best of all MARKETING GURU’s there are… who are selling their “expert support and guidance” in areas that they themselves have really NEVER excelled.
They say that talk is cheap… but you’d never know it from these guys!
Shouldn’t there be a rule that says…. “If you have never actually “walked the walk” and successfully taken new products or services to market, you can NOT charge others to lead them down a path that you yourself have never even traveled? That’s fair…isn’t it?
Have we gotten so caught up with the marketing spin & hype that’s continually put out there, that we’ve now forgotten that we still need to look behind the curtain? Wouldn’t you like to know that the person and/or company you are stroking that check too, has actually faced the marketing fog of war and successfully come out on the other side.
My question is… How many people hire professional consultants & coaches, only to receive a bunch of meaningless words and useless information?
45 - hrld
I suppose I like the quote, because education is so not keeping up with education and the breakthroughs in every discipline from its own graduates and others. It's mired in a quagmire of bureaucracy, governmental and collegiate. College helped me some and retarded me some. We need to go way beyond educations current state.
46 - Liam
Great article, I agree and have written something similar. We (teachers and educators) need to stick together and change the attitudes.