It’s Not Just Teaching - It’s Helping Others Find Their Own Voice
Add to : Del.Icio.Us / Reddit / Digg / Stumble Upon
I love it when I read a blog post, and the only thing I can do is stop whatever I was doing and write a comment. It happens often when I read a post I can relate to, or find really interesting, it compels me to write a comment, and sometimes it’s a mile long reply.
Bobby Revell recently wrote a post like that. Which made me think a lot about how the education system works, and how teaching something to someone has absolutely nothing to do with theories and the mathematics or mechanics. It’s all about helping your students, your employees, and the people you work with, find their own voice and have them come up with original ideas. Their own ideas that is!
[…] That is the education systems fault. They expect you to be mediocre and the few star students will shine. An example is students are taught formulas in math so they can solve problems. Just plug in the numbers and boom, there’s your answer. That’s the problem right there […] - Bobby Revell
The Education System - Going A Different Route
When it hits you and you realize what you spent years studying, won’t help you reach your goals, you start to wonder why the education system is the way it is. As a guitar teacher, I always try to do my best to help my students find their own sound, their own voice. I love it when my students explore new techniques, and start teaching themselves. When that happens, I know I did a good job.
All This Applied To Blogging
Same philosophy/concept can be applied to blogging or any other type of business. When you write a blog post, you’re not “teaching” people, even when you write a how-to post. You make people think, and you help them find their own voice, and their own interpretation.
If everybody knew how to write killer blog posts, catchy headlines, and stuff that gets massive traffic and links everytime it’s published. The blogosphere would be boring. A little creativity never hurt anyone. ;)
In fact, innovative and creative ideas are more likely to skyrocket your traffic, than the usual stuff.
I believe the key is to learn everything you can, then forget about it, and try going a different route.
Your Turn To Talk
What do you think? Do you see yourself as a teacher, or more as someone that makes people think and helps others find their own voice, their own interpretation? What is your position in your company and how do you make your team come up with new ideas?
Add to : Del.Icio.Us / Reddit / Digg / Stumble Upon
Hey Jonathan! Thanks for the reference and I am happy to see I helped spark a great post. I’m glad you talk about how this applies to blogging, because thats what most bloggers aren’t doing. There are so many copycats and followers out there and the best advice for all of them is simply to find in themselves something unique that only they can blog about, which is “their own voice”. One area I’ve noticed a lot of copycats is the money blogs. What separates the good money blogs from the mediocre ones is originality and personality. You can’t just rewrite the same stuff that the more prominent bloggers write, you’ll never have a chance to compete. I’m a beginner blogger though I have been writing for years but I already know that you have to find your own voice. Any great blog is constantly in development and the development never stops, it goes on forever. You have to change and adapt every day, thats one of the aspects of blogging I love most. I feel overwhelmed at times but it seems I learn something beneficial 10-15 times a day, everyday. I like how you said, “I believe the key is to learn everything you can, then forget about it, and try going a different route”. Thats exactly right. Once familiar with an idea or concept, run with it. After a while it becomes part of your knowledge repertoire and you move on to new territories. If you do all this with some personality and heart you’ll be sure to know you’re headed in the right direction:)
Bobby, your post really inspired me! I love when that happens :)
There is indeed a lot of followers, which is fine I think, but some just rewrite Darren Rowse’s or John Chow’s posts, while others try different things, well those are the ones I read.
I like it when I can relate to a post, or at least add a little something relevant to the discussion.
I belive you’re absolutely right when you say - “You can’t just rewrite the same stuff that the more prominent bloggers write, you’ll never have a chance to compete” - You can definitely reach a certain level, but at some point you’ll get to a plateau. A lot of people are making money online, but don’T run “make money” blogs. Best example is Steve Pavlina.
Thanx for writing that post Bobby!
Everyday I sense a more focused path ever evolving. I’ll be reading and learning from you because I know you have integrity and if anybody I’ve seen here on the web has a real shot, it’s you. There have been many time I wrote a post because of inspiration from another post. That is a very important concept. Thank you Jonathan for inpiring me:)
Bobby, wow thank you so much for the kind words. You’re the one who inspired me! Goes without saying I will definitely keep reading your blog, I like the personal touch in your posts, and the integrity.:)
I hope my blog encourages people to share their own voices with me and my readers.
I’m definitely not in a “teacher” role there.
:)
Hi Adria, well I think it’s really ok to be in a “teacher” role, although your blog is more “artsy” than “authoritative”, and it’s fine like that, that’s what makes you, you! ;)
It’s funny that you blogged about this today, Jonathan, because I just recently started on a new ghostwriting project. It’s a non-fiction book about the education system and how it, as is, is not very effective in promoting learning. Innovative ideas and encouraging independent thought have to be key, I think.
This is an interesting concept and applying it to blogging is especially thought provoking. I’ll have to keep it in mind as I blog. I don’t know that I’m in a “teacher” role on my blog. I’ll have to think about it!
Brenda, I would love to read that book, sounds like a great idea. You’re ghostwriting?
I’m happy my post made you think, all the credits are to Bobby :)
[…] recently wrote a post Jobs and Careers: My Journey to Happiness which prompted a friend Jonathan Phillips to write a most excellent post, and now I feel compelled to write a post inspired by […]
I liked what Bobby said here but I want to say one thing which I have personally felt. I had heard of adsense and then I joined mylot and read more about it on the friend’s discussions. I wanted to start a blog but had no clue what to write. I could not dare to bare my life out there(I am still not that brave.). I had so many ideas and so many skills I wanted to write about but to inculcate all of them on one blog woul have made it messy and probably a blog with no definate theme. I chose what I knew best-Mylot as my theme at first. As I started writing and publishing I grew as the number of my posts grew. I learned and still am learning. I read a lot my writing gets influenced by what I read. I do copy and sometime rephrase words or sentences. But still I feel its all part of learning. WHen as a kid I was learning to paint my Sir told us to copy master pieces and siad never sign your name on those paintings, as You will learn you will create your own master pieces and then you can write your own name on them. We made so many paintiings but without name. Blogging also is like that, if you are a beginer copy and learn but quote the source and slowly you will learn and do write ups on your own too.
Hi Manisha, those are words of wisdom. I like the way you relate the painting to blogging. Same as me with my music and guitar. When I started out, I was learning every song I could, playing cover songs, then at some point I realized it was time for me to start composing a little and play in an original act, which i enjoy a lot today.
I think it’s fine to paraphrase, and to a certain extent copy or follow what other bloggers do. Then you get to the point where you wanna find your own voice, and usually that’s where things start to work really good :)
Thanx for the reply Manisha! welcome to SWR, and please make yourself at home.