Teaching or Training?
Teaching and training are synonyms. Technically they mean the same thing. As with all synonyms the devil is in the details. The exact nuances implied by using different words can make a big difference.
I enjoyed these definitions of the two words.
Teach:
Teaching can be defined as engagement with learners to enable their understanding and application of knowledge, concepts and processes. Teaching is the process of attending to people’s needs, experiences and feelings, and intervening so that they learn particular things, and go beyond the given.
to guide the studies of.
Train:
Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one’s capability, capacity, productivity and performance.
At the risk of sounding pedantic the words we use matter.
Why do we teach children but train horses? If we look at these definitions teaching is engaging. It is working with the student to help them understand. It is attending their needs. This can be seen as a conversation, working together to enable them to do their absolute best. To enhance skills and abilities to ‘go beyond the given’.
When we train we are imparting our skills upon them. We are working towards a specific goal that is predetermined. It isn’t a bad thing. When there is one specific job to be done we need to learn, or train, how to do that job. It doesn’t allow leeway though. It is a one way conversation.
Next time we are out working with our horses maybe we should pause a moment and think about whether we are training them or teaching them. Do they get some say in the matter? Are we working together to help the horse reach the absolute best of their abilities in a way that they are allowed and welcome to have a say in.
I think I might just start calling myself a horse teacher instead of horse trainer.
