“Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach … right?”

Abstract

I’m always surprised how many times I hear friends and colleagues bring up this statement that usually is followed by vociferous debate. Having been given this opportunity through the Johnson and Johnson Teacher of the Year award, I hope to answer this question. I come from a long line of educators and was brought up in a family where education and development was always held in high regard. My parents had always seen me as a teacher and knew that, even though I had chosen pharmacy as a career, I would more than likely move into a position that involved education and development in some form. Through most of my formative years, I had often heard the phrase, “those who can, do; those who can’t, teach” and as a young aspiring pharmacist, ‘doing’ was important to me as I felt that it was in ‘doing’ that I could make a difference. Ultimately, most of us pharmacists entered the profession to make a difference, so why would I want to teach?