Is teaching an art or a science? I think this centers around the idea - are there natural teachers? can you learn to teach? how does one become an effective teacher.
Teaching is both an art and a science. Just as it is both an uplifting passionate experience and a frustrating, heartache. Just as I am both teacher and learner. Teaching is both the art of science and the science of art. It is an ever-changing experience and to be an effective teacher one must be willing to constantly evolve themselves. It is only as we allow ourselves to be changed by our students that we realize how great of an effect a community of learning can have on one another.
Teaching requires creativity. It requires the ability to think on one's feet, and to then dance the content across the room in an way that inspires students to jump up and dance in it too. This is the art of teaching.
Teaching requires careful practice and consideration. It requires a thoughtful plan, observation, and critical thinking. For this reason it is a science.
Ultimately, a teacher has so many roles that it is impossible to even narrow it down to the two choices. The job description for a librarian at SFUSD is that we are to wear four hats-- or was it five...? There are so many roles that we play within the school day, that we must just become flexible in ourselves. It is easier to sway in the wind than it is to stand still...
How does one become an effective teacher? They work hard, devote themselves to self-reflection, and learn how to flow.
