Wax On, Wax Off
The Expert-Novice Relationship (with Examples)
In history, literature, and film, the expert-novice relationship is a common narrative motif. From Socrates and Plato, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker, Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, and Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter, the master-apprentice dynamic is a frequent source of inquiry and exploration. Through this relationship, we confront timeless themes of human existence: personal growth, identity development, the transfer of knowledge, the quest for enlightenment, and the power of relational bonds. We’re captivated by their conflicts and tensions as much as we are by their symbolisms and meanings.
But rather than look through the expert-novice relationship as a lens with which to understand character development and journeys, what happens when we look at the interplay between teachers and their students to understand how knowledge is passed on successfully? Using three well-known examples, we distill a few approaches to scaffolded teaching that pack a punch.
Repetition, strengthening, and muscle memory. The good news is that mastery is possible. The bad news is that it’s not instantaneous unless you live in the Matrix. Whether it was through painting fences, sanding floors, or waxing cars, Mr. Miyagi taught Daniel LaRusso how to develop the physical movements, mental discipline, and emotional temperament required of martial arts. For novel actions to turn into muscle memory, there’s no substitute for repetition. And when you imbue repetitive movements with meaning and purpose, you’re blowing open the doors for lifelong growth and progress.
Working through discomfort and frustration. There’s no feeling more frustrating than that of inability. Helen Keller’s behavior as a young girl was documented as particularly gnarly given her powerlessness to express herself, being both blind and deaf. As Helen was prone to tantrums and at times feral behavior, her teacher Anne Sullivan exercised herculean patience in teaching her how to communicate. Hers was the exemplar for bridging the delta between what a pupil does know and does not know, which is ultimately what makes a teacher great.
Diversifying Thought and Experience. Mr. Miyagi taught Daniel bonsai as a way to tune into his inner self. Anne Sullivan left no subject or discipline unexplored if she thought there was distillable wisdom that could benefit Helen Keller. Similarly, William Wallace’s uncle Argyle took quite a Montessorian “whole person” approach to educating his orphaned nephew (who, by the way, did not speak Latin?!). When William gazes at his uncle’s sword, itching for revenge, Argyle says, “First, learn to use this [tapping on William’s head]. Then, I’ll teach you to use this [pointing at his weapon].” Numerous athletes and musicians credit their success to having learned other sports or instruments in addition to their primary ones, but our belief is that cultivating the ability to think and operate in tangents is an unbelievable and attainable superpower. Taking a multidisciplinary, multidimensional approach to learning and problem-solving makes the difference between the doers and the innovators.
