Last week I assigned a blog to my students where they were to write what they were an expert in doing. While the assignment seemed specific, an expert can be defined in many ways. According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary online, the word 'expert' has three intrinsic definitions: noun, adjective, and verb. While each of these is different in its own way, students were to view the word 'expert' in their own way as well.
After reading each of their blogs, some wrote what they believe to be an expert in (based on their current knowledge) and some wrote about being knowledgable in certain areas but not necessarily an expert. However, it wasn't just responding to the question, it was more of looking at their writing ability. Like my students, I use my prior knowledge and education to showcase my expertise. Even though I am an 'expert' in writing, a person with more knowledge and practice in writing would be the expert. The idea of being an expert is not to be the best or the one with the most knowledge. In fact, it is just the opposite. We can receive expert advice on situations, we can be the expert in doing something, and we can be the expert from our training and education.
So the question is what am I an expert in? I am an expert in giving honest and truthful advice. I was always a strong willed person, which I learned from my father. He was probably the toughest guy that I knew but yet he was very protective of his family. I didn't really see this growing up because, after all, I was a kid. Now that is he gone and I have my own family, I see within myself the expert that I got from my father. The fact that others come to me for advice means something. Even though my father had a tough exterior, I could see what he was protecting: himself. This is the same for me. I am an expert (to some degree) in seeing who people are despite their exterior. However, I am not an expert in judgement. The reason I say this is because there have been many people in my life who were, to put it gently, unkind on the inside. But with all lessons in life, I learn one lesson after another. I wish I could have protected myself earlier on to see the signs, but deep down inside I was hoping there was good in everyone. Unfortunately, there is not. While I can give expert advice to others, I should have taken my own advice.
Comments