It is an old saying. 'Those who can, do; those who can't, teach'. It originated from Bernard Shaw's stage play Man and Superman. The play was originally written in 1905, and the derogatory quote aimed at teachers is still used today.
While some may assert there is some truth to this saying, it only persists because, as students, we all have had those "experiences", where we have had or known an inadequate teacher. As a student, teachers are very visible and the impressions the teacher leaves with their students lasts a lifetime. Their roles are very relational. Therefore, it makes sense we remember the poor teachers and can still relate to this quote today.
What is powerful to me is this can apply to any profession. Any person can be incompetent at their job. It depends on visibility and impact, so it is not just limited to a teacher. The challenge is we all have had teachers; not everyone has had the pleasure dealing with a plastic surgeon, and less likely by an incompetent one at that. Why this is so important to me is it reminds me that education is very visible and relational.
This also serves as a good reminder that what we do carries well beyond our students' school years. A curious thought is a teacher may be able get away with being incompetent but with students, you just can't hide from it, as this memory carries beyond those four classroom walls.
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