Teaching
From Mizahar Lore
A Myrian explains the rituals of Myri's festivals to a group of young boys.
Teaching is the skill of passing previously acquired knowledge or skills to another person or persons through formal or informal instruction.
To teach is to impart knowledge or skill. Whether formal or informal, the process involves at least one teacher and at least one individual willing to learn. Though most teaching institutions and the structure of formal schools were almost completely destroyed in the Valterrian, several institutions have been built in the aftermath across the lands.
Teaching in one form or another occurs within every region of Mizahar today. Whether it be an apprentice wizard conducting research under the strict guise of her tutor in Sahova, or the captain of a transport vessel vehemently correcting his subordinates on cabin cleanliness on the Suvan Sea; the practice of teaching is a subtle yet vital contribution to the reconstruction of society in Mizahar.
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Prerequisites and Related Skills
There are no prerequisites to teach, and any skill or lore can be taught to (virtually) everyone in just about any situation.
Teaching Academies
- University of Zeltiva: The largest major learning institution in Mizahar, a wide variety of classes are taught here. Major specialties include shipbuilding and sailing.
- Valkalah Academy: The majority of instructors are volunteers, though there are a few professor positions. Subjects taught include culture, history, and other courses involved in the general education of Akalak youth. The school is open to all friendly toward Riverfall; guests are not uncommon in these halls. With an extensive library attached, the Valkalah Academy serves to spread a much more abundant wealth of knowledge than many assume.
- Stormhold Castle: Its purpose is to enforce civilization and, hopefully, coexistence across a chaotic land. Maintaining the rigorous training standards of the Syliran Knights is of utmost importance concerning the welfare of the surrounding populace. It is the vital defensive center of Syliras, and a symbol of progress in Mizahar.
- Little Dead Schoolhouse: Located on the ghostly island of Black Rock, this is a generally feared yet strangely peaceful place of largely unknown inhabitants. Many subjects are taught to the youth of Black Rock here: mathematics, science, and geography to list a few. Higher learning is also taught in the evenings.
- Great Healing Center: Constructed within the shell of a giant snail-like creature, the Great Healing Center is a central structure of the Spires. A staff of 10 talented Jamoura support the head doctor in treating patients using physical, herbal, and magical methods to perform the work of Caiyha and Rak'keli meticulously and compassionately. Teaching and instruction are performed by senior staff in the Center’s library and, most importantly, at the patient’s bedside.
Kelvics are much harder to teach the more academic Lores and Skills to than any other race.
The Rules of Teaching
- Teaching is not a Lore. It’s a skill that improves with practice.
- Teaching skill progression is not subject-dependent. It does not matter what an individual teaches, whether they teach the longsword skill or the Lore of local herbs of the Spires, their Teaching skill will progress additively based on their efforts. For example: If James taught Sarah the Projection (magic) skill in a total of four separate threads, and increased his teaching skill from 4 to 15 (after Moderator approval, of course), James could later teach the Lore of dangerous predators of Falyndar to Trenton in a different thread with a Teaching skill level of 15. No matter what skill or lore James wishes to teach to others, his Teaching skill is at level 15.
- Obviously, a character cannot teach a Skill or Lore he/she does not already have.
- Characters can raise the skill level of other characters by teaching on that specific skill. But only if the teaching character has a skill level higher than the learning character. For example: James has Unarmed Combat skill level 8, and Sarah has it at level 5. John can only raise Sarah's Unarmed Combat skill to 8 in a teaching thread. Also note that Sarah's player would need to roleplay her actually using the skill; Sarah would need to kick or punch (or what have you) in the thread to earn her Unarmed Combat experience, rather than simply listening to the instructions. If she simply listens to a lecture, she was gain a Lore instead of a Skill.
- As such, teaching characters can simultaneously raise their Teaching skill level and raise the level of the skill taught. For example: If James teaches fishing to Sarah, his skill in Fishing (at the discretion of a moderator after thread completion) was raised by 2 and his skill in teaching was raised by 3 - and if she participated equally, Sarah raises her fishing skill by 3.
- Multiple characters can teach to a single character or a single character can teach to multiple characters.
- A character can increase his/her teaching skill through teaching NPC’s (and also possibly simultaneously raise the skill level of the skill being taught). A character can also increase his/her teaching skill by teaching an NPC a Lore.
- If multiple skills and/or pieces of Lore are taught within the same thread, generally the skill level increase per skill will not be as high as if one skill or lore was taught (again, this mostly relies on how well the roleplay was conducted and how the assigned Moderator assigns experience points).
- As a general rule of thumb, the higher the teaching skill level, the better the teacher.
- Either creative or obvious application of this skill could lead to fun and highly productive roleplaying!
Skill Progression
| Novice (1-25) | |
| The teacher is capable of explaining things at a slower pace. Key details of the skill or lore may sometimes be overlooked, and can go unmentioned without an engaged student asking clarifying questions. One-on-one instruction is optimal, but the teacher may attempt instructing up to four to six students at one time without much risk of failing utterly. Distractions can prove hazardous to instruction. High interaction between teacher and student greatly increases effectiveness of instruction. The novice teacher may only teach up to two skills, two lores, or one skill and one lore per thread. If teaching of multiple skill(s) and/or lore(s) is attempted, they must directly relate to one another. (Example: Writing and Forgery) | |
| Competent (26-50) | |
| The pace of instruction is generally greatly improved. Important details of subject matter are hardly ever overlooked, as the teacher is well practiced. One-on-one or one-on-two instruction is preferred, but the competent teacher is usually comfortable instructing to up to 25 students at one time. Distractions and interruptions still affect instruction, but the teacher is often able to adapt and overcome learning obstacles. The competent teacher may attempt to teach up to four skills, four pieces of lore, or a combination of both within the same thread. Once again, the skill(s) and lore(s) must be relatable, but the competent teacher may be more creative in relating instructed skill(s) and or lore(s), ie: Fishing, Farming, Falconry, and Birdkeeping). Example: James teaches general principles of farming, which includes concepts like product and food storage. He discusses a great way to store spoilable food, like fish, which involves putting the fish several inches beneath certain soils. James then teaches some basics of fishing. He then describes a creative method of fishing which involves the use of a trained falcon by practicing some general principles of falconry. James ends his discussion on a brief introduction to birdkeeping, because falcons are no easy pet to own. | |
| Expert (51-75) | |
| The art of teaching has become almost effortless in a learning-conducive environment. A teacher at this level often uses the skill on a daily basis as a formal instructor or an influential leader of his/her community. Most of the time, every little detail and aspect of taught skill or lore is covered effectively. Less interaction is required for optimal learning; even the most dull subject matter is taught very effectively, and students often conclude after instruction that they’ve learned more than they first realized. The expert teacher really has no limit on the number of students, though over 100 pairs of unblinking eyes may make him/her nervous. The teacher is no longer limited to instructing on a maximum number of skills or pieces of lore in a single thread, though the material must be relatable in some way (be it abstract or straightforward). It is easier for the Expert Teacher to explain concepts to those who have more difficulty learning, including those with disabilities or Kelvics. | |
| Master (76-100) | |
| Almost nothing will distract or break the student-teacher bond. The subject matter is covered so effectively students may have trouble not glossing over the details of the instruction in their sleep. Other teachers may approach the master teacher with requests for advice and instruction on how to improve their teaching ability. The master teacher generally anticipates any questions any student may or may not have, and often addresses them just before a studious hand is raised. The influence of a master teacher could potentially be profound, possibly creating new ways of performing or thinking about instructed material. The limit on number of skills or lore taught within a thread is at the discretion of the master teacher; as is the relatability of the material. The master teacher can instruct on whatever, however he/she deems best. Teaching at this level is almost always done with renowned eloquence and ease. Students instructed by a master teacher may be inspired to learn about subjects they previously found boring. Students find themselves learning without much more effort than listening quietly; as such, a character learning from a Master Teacher can earn a maximum of 6 Skill Points instead of the usual maximum of 5 Skill Points (Important Note: This exception only applies to being taught by PC Teachers, NPCs do not count). They also have no problem teaching those who have difficulty learning, and are often the only ones who can teach abstract or academic concepts to the learning disabled. | |