Unnecessary Skills: Keeping Order and Commanding Attention

Keeping order and commanding attention are important for drill sergeants. Soldiers need to follow orders. But students? They're going into a world not to follow orders, but to think creatively and solve problems.

If you're involved in education to any degree, you should read Disrupting Class by Clayton M. Christensen. Almost everything I read nearly drives me into an agreement rant, but for now I'll just share this quite regarding what teaching used to be, what it has become, and what should be unnecessary in the future:

A profession whose work primarily was in tutoring students one on one was hijacked into one where some of the teacher's most important skills became keeping order and commanding attention.

I'm serious. Read this book.