As a teacher, it’s important to leave space for thinking.

There’s got to be space for someone to figure something out; to mess up and self-correct, or to walk the paths mentally while pursuing a solution to a problem. In those moments, I’m standing by patiently. I know that merely supplying the answer is not beneficial. What benefits the student is actually the thinking that is taking place, and I don’t want to interrupt it.

Some teachers and coaches have interpreted the idea of leaving space for thinking to mean that their role is to only ask questions that lead to this type of problem-solving. But I don’t see it that way. And when it comes to business, I believe the “questions only” approach is really stupid.

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I’ve noticed a pattern in the way people learn to teach math.

At first, someone is thrilled just to know how to solve a particular kind of problem and show someone else how to do it. They can teach a student how to carry out a procedure that they have learned.

The next step in the development of the aspiring teacher or tutor is to lead a student toward an understanding of a concept strong enough that the procedure becomes self-evident.

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A friend of mine told me about a conversation with a business coach she had been considering working with.

The coach said to her, “I can’t believe in you more than you believe in yourself.”

Which seemed reasonable, until my friend realized that that’s actually what was seeking to hire a coach to do.

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If you want to learn something — anything — the content is out there.

There are books, videos, and courses galore to show you how to do whatever it is you want to do, from flower arranging to sailing to investing. Whether in person or online, there is no shortage of information and eager teachers out there.

Despite this, we don’t reach our goals. We don’t all learn how to do the things we want to. Although online course completion rates are not the best measure of whether someone is learning, most sources suggest that they hover between 5 and 15 percent. Presumably, some of these people got as much as they wanted to from the course or learned what the wanted to learn elsewhere, but for many of them, life happened. They wanted to follow through, but they didn’t.

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Teachers and coaches have an advantage when it comes to personal and professional growth.

When you spend hours every day contributing to the growth of others, it leaves echoes. A useful residue.

You will hear your own voice in your head when you attempt to accomplish something similar to what you’re students have been working on. You’ll have no choice but to practice what you preach.

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