We've all heard the condemnation of teachers and teaching in general claiming that people who can not actually do an activity or an art form are resigned to teaching it. I am not a teacher, but a doer, and I find the statement both inaccurate and insulting.
Teachers are the cornerstone of our knowledge. I would not know what I do if it were not for teachers I have had. I assume the same is true for you and for everyone.
I am not someone who is naturally inclined to teaching. I struggle to cross the divide that separates those who know (teachers) from those who do not (students). Teaching is a profession of communication; transferring knowledge and inspiration from one person to another. It is completely separate from the actual doing of a task. Sure, a certain amount of understanding is necessary, but expertise is not fundamental to teaching.
I have known several teachers who can not practice brilliantly the skill they teach, but they understand it exceptionally well. More importantly, they understand how to communicate the process of learning it. They know how to get a student from point A to point B, even when that path is different for each one.
It seems to me that teaching - transferring knowledge - is a more nuanced and skilled profession than most arts. I strive to be a better teacher. A better communicator.
