Lecturing without knowing the subject.

I had to share this with you because some of my colleagues said it could not be done.
As a young lecturer you are often requested to stand in for absent colleagues who for some reason cannot take a class.
On this particular occasion I was asked to take a class of metrology students. My immediate reaction was to think, I don't know anything about the weather. On my way to the classroom I was told that this was an HND class and that metrology was the scientific study of measurement. My heart sank, I had never heard of this, what on earth was I going to find in this workshop.
I entered the room and said good morning and introduced myself. There were 22 class members, quite a lot for a workshop. Suddenly an air of shear devience came over me and I thought I would pull this off.
No sitting back and telling them to read or persue some private study, I was going to be a metrology lecturer.
"Right gentleman " I said " today we will be recaping on what you have learn't this year. Now who can tell me what this is" I grabbed this enormous device which stood in the centre of the workshop, what it was I did not have a clue. "That is a profile projector sir " one of the students shouted out " and what do you use it for" I replied, there was a short silence "come on " I said "some one have a go " " Well sir, you put a piece of material in the machine and it beams a shadow over to the screen with light around it so you can measure it" dam clever I though, never seen such a thing before but it makes sense. I looked around the class and observed the nodding of heads " well done " I said. This went on all through the two hour lecturer and I was begining to enjoy it. Did I ever have to learn anything to teach or perhaps I could just ask the right questions and get them to do the work. At the end of two hours I had learnt quite a bit. They had told me what nearly ever instrument did. I decided to send them for a 15 minute break so I could make a few notes, they had told me so much stuff I did not know. When they got back we talked about " setting blocks " no, I am the same as you, I didn't have a clue what they are. One of the students explained they were for accurately setting up a right angle. Well I went with that and no - one disagreed so it had to be right. Then came the moment I was dreading, someone put there hand up and said " what would you use setting blocks for sir " I thought fast " anyone got an answer" I said, there was a stoney silence and I looked around for even the slightest response, there was nothing, was my cover blown, now of course it wasn't I had anticipated such a situation 30 minutes back when things were going so well. " right, your homework for this week is to explain four situations where an engineer might use a setting block " there was a few sighs but they realised I was not going to tell them. What they didn't know was I didn't have a clue. I said " well thats all for today lads, your usual lecturer will be back next week " I really hoped so because I didn't know whether I would be able to pull this off a second week. but it was OK. One of the students stepped forward and thanked me for such an interesting lecture. I just smiled and walked out. I realised then that lecturing was not a sciece but an art, therefore the more artful you are, the better you will be at it.

Re: Lecturing without knowing the subject.

When I was lecturing the biology teacher asked me to supervise her class as she had to be elsewhere. She said she would leave work for them to do. It was a class of 16/17 year old girls on a hairdressing course. When I got to the classroom I found she had put a couple of drawings on the blackboard for the girls to copy into their notebooks.........the male and female genitalia. I had to laugh when one of the girls said "I am no good at drawing, I'll make a right cock-up of this !

Re: Lecturing without knowing the subject.

Alan, I love this, teaching girls can be a problem because just like in adult life the women can ALWAYS get the better of us.

Re: Lecturing without knowing the subject.

The Socratic approach to questioning is based on the practice of disciplined, thoughtful dialogue. Socrates, the early Greek philosopher/teacher, believed that disciplined practice of thoughtful questioning enabled the student to examine ideas logically and to determine the validity of those ideas.

What I got when googling 'Socratic Question.'

Re: Lecturing without knowing the subject.

I always remember one of the times I did go to school, in a woodwork lesson the teacher said what's makes woodwork different and harder than metal work , you can't bend wood , I put my hand up and said yes you can , by streaming the wood, he got angry and give me the cane across my knuckles , even though I was right ,

Re: Lecturing without knowing the subject.

And thus Nasrudin approached the crowd asking `which of you know what I will say`

We all do was the reply.

Well if you know it anyway I `m going home.

Nasrudin approached the crowd another time and asked the same question

Nobody knew.

Well then there is no point as you will not understand-and Nasrudin went home.

The final time the crowd was wiser and replied `some do some do not`

Then let those who know tell those who do not and Nasrudin went home.

Re: Lecturing without knowing the subject.

I think I have entered a "Nasreddin Phase".