I worked for The Register-Herald for several years. When I started out there, I was one of three people in the “Composing Department.” We were in charge of taking the orders from our salespeople for the ads they had sold and then turning those work orders into advertisements for the newspaper.
Our work was specific. Every word had to match exactly what was written on the work order. The size of the ad had to be correct right down to the micrometer. This job required me to pay careful attention to detail every step of the way. We often had to tweak the content if our salespeople did not like the way something looked, such as a font choice or layout.
A sign hung on the wall. It said: “I’m making misteaks as fast as I can.” Steak instead of stake in mistake.
By the time I was hired at The R-H, almost everything had gone digital, so we did our ad creations on powerful Apple Computers.
Unfortunately, for one of the people in our department, this was true. When she was hired, everything was mocked up using cut and paste. She did not know how to use a computer. Well. At least very little.
I was given the task of training her. At one point, we were completing a task in a program; I wanted her to click on the “done” button. And so, I told her to tell the computer okay.
She leaned up in her chair, her nose almost touching the screen, and said, out loud, “Ohh Kaaaay.”
I knew then it was going to be a long week.
Each and every day, I am reminded of the same thing:
We don’t know what we don’t know.
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“The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.” — Mark Van Doren
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“In learning, you will teach, and in teaching, you will learn.” — Phil Collins
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“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.” — Malala Yousafzai
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The teaching teaches us. Ohhh Kaaayyyyyyy.
