Kung Fu Panda: Lesson 3

3.      We may not be born with teaching skills, but we can acquire them through perseverance.

A quick question—are kung fu masters born or made? In the movie, the villain Tai Lung was a natural kung fu fighter. Everyone said, “He is a prodigy!” He mastered every kung fu move very quickly. However, despite his superb skills, Tai Lung’s pride eventually turned him into a monster. Po, on the hand, was fat and clumsy. Although unskilled at first, he eventually mastered the art of kung fu because he persevered and refused to give up.

Similarly, are excellent teachers born or made?

Some are naturally gifted. They have intelligence, good looks, charisma, verbal fluency, a pleasant voice, and a good memory! In my case, it was the exact opposite—for one thing, I am not a naturally fluent speaker. Language and grammar are not my best subjects. Inhibited by a lack of confidence and self-consciousness, I used to suffer from stage fright.

However, I was determined to take every opportunity to learn and improve my teaching skills—both informally, from colleagues and formally, from attending courses organised by CDTL. I recorded my lectures, reviewed them over and over again, and solicited feedback. I read books on public speaking, making good presentations, and general teaching. I also made an effort to master the subject knowledge; I learnt to tell stories and to develop my own style of teaching.

Source: "Four Lessons from Kung Fu Panda", OEA Public Lecture Series 2012.