Learning from Learning Theory

Abstract

If you watch a skilled artisan at work, such as a master butcher, there is an obvious internal coherence to the execution of the skill. It is economical, fluid, elegant and—above all—paradoxically restrained. There is no need for flamboyance. The knife-edge seems to ‘fall’ into the meat. The best artisans are at one with both their tools and the objects of their endeavors. They do not force. Indeed, there is a sense of minimal interference from the hands, a kind of ‘lifting off,’ where the specific qualities of the tool do the work, such as the weight and sharpness of a heavy cleaver blade. Paradoxically, while ‘grip’ may seem key to controlling tools, it is ‘release’ that distinguishes the expert from the novice. The novice’s grip is too tight—taut and fearful rather than relaxed and confident. As Sennett (2008, p. 152) points out, ‘grip’ and ‘release’ are also powerful metaphors for ethical relationships. Good teachers never control with a tight grip, but offer guidance and encourage learner autonomy. They are confident that ‘release,’ or ‘lifting off’ from something rather than pressing, will create positive space for safe practice and innovation. Above all, they do not oppress, offering supportive ‘presence,’ not force.

The world is presence, not force.

Wallace Stevens (from the poem ‘Saint John and the back-ache’; Stevens 1954, p. 436)