2007-09-20 14:45:39 · 8 answers · asked by Lakers24 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
Engineers are terrible teachers because they cannot relate to anybody that does not understand their thinking process.
Kind of like democrats feel and republicans think, the two shall never meet.
So it is with some of the students that can not think like an engineer.
If an engineer is teaching other engineering students or others that have the capacity to think like an engineer, then they are good. Otherwise, they are awful.
2007-09-20 15:46:09 · answer #1 · answered by Christmas Light Guy 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
It depends.
I'm an engineer and I can tell you right now, flat out, I would suck as a teacher. I don't have the patience required for it. I reied teaching my sister-in-law some basic algebra when she was in high school and all I could do was yell at her to pound the information into her head. By the time we were done I was exhausted and she was mad. I'm more of a do-er than a teacher. I'd rather get the work done myself than sit an train someone. But that's me and I work with several other people just like that.
There are other engineer types that are perfect for teaching. These are the types that tend to think rather than act. They want to come up with as many different solutions as possible to the problem (no matter how long it takes) before making a decision. These types of people are perfect for teaching.
2007-09-20 22:40:57 · answer #2 · answered by lovefriction 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, not at all. When I was an engineering student I would say that many of my professors were excellent engineers but terrible teachers. You certainly want a person with subject expertise to teach engineering but that person needs to possess some teaching skills as well.
Another fault that I sometimes see with engineers as teachers (and other disciplines as well, but definitely engineering) is that they don't remember back to when they didn't know certain pieces of information. So, while heat transfer may be second nature to them, they can't necessarily explain it because they can't remember what it was like not to know.
On the other hand, engineers are very methodical, systematic, organized (generally) people who can make very good teachers.
2007-09-21 12:32:12 · answer #3 · answered by Mee 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, why should we?
I had some great engineering teachers, and some not so great ones.
And I had some great non engineer teachers, and some very poor non engineer teachers.
I don't believe there is any correlation between the teaching ability and a formal education as an engineer.
2007-09-20 21:55:53 · answer #4 · answered by Vincent G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think engineers with practical experience and people skills make the best teachers.
2007-09-20 22:26:18 · answer #5 · answered by Beloved93 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think engineers make pretty good teachers but the best teachers are philosophers because they have an all around understanding of how things work both physically and mentally.
2007-09-20 21:53:40 · answer #6 · answered by Gabrie! 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not at all.
In general the qualifications for a good teacher and those for a good engineer are opposite to each other. There are some brilliant and talented exceptions, but for the most part this is the case.
Sorry.
2007-09-20 21:57:18 · answer #7 · answered by aviophage 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
engineers make better teachers than someone who "merely" has a background in teaching
2007-09-20 21:54:48 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋