Is teaching an Art or a Science?
The answer is simple.
Teaching is a SCIENCE.
Teaching has scientific elements in so far as how it works and how learning happens.
It involves understanding the intricate workings of human cognitive architecture, learning process, behavior, psychology, knowledge domain, nature of expertise, practice, feedback, assessment, motivation, etc.
It also talks about broad structures (curriculum, syllabus, content, pedagogy, technology) and about narrow frameworks of culture, behavior, norms, rules, accountability.
In other words, a teacher has to have a deep understanding of the content, how it is structured from concrete to abstract level.
Similarly, about the learners, the level of their prior knowledge and their misconceptions.
And, the teacher also needs to know deeply about the learning process, learning outcomes, and the assessment of learning.
Teaching is an ART.
But teaching also has aesthetic elements.
As a teacher, you’re making choices with instructional design, approaches, techniques and strategies. And through those choices, you’re expressing who you are as a teacher. You also gradually become what you are teaching.
You have hundreds of tools you could use but you specifically choose only a few in certain contexts. You start having preferences on methodology, approaches, and technology. And over the years, that becomes your style of teaching.
That element of CHOICE and SELF-EXPRESSION on your part is the art of teaching.
You may not be able to explain it. You can only demonstrate it. And, your learners can just experience it.
Same class. Same students. Same subject. But still, there can never be another teacher who is just like you, who teaches just like you.
So, teaching as an art is about going beyond the concrete structures into abstractness. Into vagueness.
Teaching is BOTH.
You must explore both the science and art of teaching.
Strive towards mastering both aspect. And create a learning environment where knowledge and creativity converge and diverge, enabling us to improve the learning of those we teach.
I have been teaching in public schools for close to 30 years. One can be taught be an adequate teacher. But to be a truly gifted teacher is more art than science. Gifted teachers have a quality that can’t be taught. They have a “with it ness” that enables them to instantly turn things happening in the class to learning opportunities. They can read the vibe of a class and can often anticipate problems before they start or get out of hand.
They connect with kids without trying and are often popular and respected at the same time. Another thing I have noticed is they are also very funny and incorporate humor into their teaching and class management.