common sense
I think there are no instructors at our school that lack common sense. We all seem to work together and do what has to be done- we all work together as a team and work together to figure out certain things.
I understand that our students are our customers but I feel we must use common sense alone with integrity any time we are dealing with students be it lecture, work stations, labs or during testing.
TONIA,
Keep Working together. Do your best to welcome and orient new instructors as well.
Philip Campbell
In my years of teaching, I have encountered a few instructors that lacks common sense, although I do not know if common sense can be taught, there are certain skills that can be practiced, but that also depends on what expectations a school has for their instructors.
Pauline,
I like how you presented this, about practicing versus learning. Nicely put.
Philip Campbell
Hello, Pauline. I think there are a few people in every profession who lack common sense. I have seen some of them be very successful from other skills they learned along the way. Others never learned enough skills to be successful.
I agree, I don't think common sense can be taught. I think though by practicing other soft skills, like emotional intelligence, a person's shortcomings in common sense won't be as glaring. I think in our profession, a certain amount of common sense is necessary to be an effective instructor, naturally some people have more than others.
Scott,
Sounds like from many of the participants that practicing soft skills helps to promote common sense.
Philip Campbell
Hello there Scott,
I enjoyed your comment about how common sense can't be taught and how having other skills can sort of dim your lack of it. I do however want to say that I am in the process of teaching my children COMMON SENSE!! Every time they do something on the other end of SMART...LOL.. I take the time to explain why that was a bad idea....what other options they could have taken..why they shouldn't do it again...who that action could affect!! I don't know for certain if common sense CAN be taught, but I am surely giving it a college try with my ten year old!
Pauline,
I agree with you that common sense is something that really can't be taught. I do think if the school has clear expectatons for instructors to follow that can sometimes help.
I tell students and staff members common sense is not really that common.
I agree that "un-common" sense can't be taught. It's been my personal experience that what I consider personal common sense has been in fact, the result of learning as I grew up. Then, apply the same "cause and effect" to other situations throughout my life.
This is important common sense, requires good judgement and standing your ground, respecting others, making practical decisions. Even when your bosses or students lack common sense.
