2023-07-01
At school, our 9-year-old is currently studying the hsitory of human civilization from the late stone age through to the bronze age. The other week, the class was split into three groups, each of which was tasked with researching a different piece of megalithic architecture:
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And so it was that one of our eldest's classmates was searching on the Web for information about The Devil's Quoits when they found... my vlog on the subject! One of them recognised me and said, "Hey, isn't that your Uncle Dan?" (Of course, I only made the vlog because I was doing a videography course at the time and needed subject matter, and I'd recently been reading a lot about the Quoits because I was planning on "hiding" a virtual geocache at the site, and then I got carried away. Self-nerdsniped again!)
On the school run later in the day, the teacher grabbed me and asked if I'd be willing to join their school trip to the henge, seeing as I was a "local expert". Naturally, I said yes, went along, and told a bunch of kids what I knew!
I was slightly intimidated because the class teacher, Miss Hutchins, is really good! Coupled with the fact that I don't feel like a "local expert" (What is a local expert? I don't know, but what I feel like is just a guy who read a couple of books because he got distracted while hiding a geocache!), this became a kick-off topic for my most-recent coaching session (I've mentioned how awesome my coach is before).
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I eventually talked to the class mostly about the human geography aspects of the site's story. The area around the Devil's Quoits has changed so much over the millenia, and it's a fascinating storied history in which it's been:
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It turns out that to be a good enough to pass as a "local expert", you merely have to know enough. Enough to be able to uplift and inspire others, and the humility to know when to say "I don't know". (When we're talking about people from the neolithic, saying "I don't know" is pretty easy, because what we don't know is quite a lot, it turns out!)
That's a lesson I should take to heart. I (too) often step back from the opportunity to help others learn something new because I don't feel like I'm that experienced at whatever the subject is myself. But even if you're still learning something, you can share what you've learned so far and help those behind you to follow the same path. I'm forever learning new things, and I should try to be more-open to sharing "as I learn". And to admit where I've still got a long way to go.
Robin's blog post about visiting the Rollright Stones
My vlog post about The Devil's Quoits
My "Devil's Quoits" virtual geocache
Blog post on the school website mentioning the school trip
Staff profiles on the school's website
My blog post "Do What You're Bad At", in which I mention how great my coach is
