Artisan: a person skilled in the applied arts: a craftsperson (dictionary.com)

I have been blessed, or cursed perhaps, with an incurable curiosity for teaching. I have spent the past 30 years teaching, studying teaching, and observing teachers and, since it is generally fulfilling to satisfy one’s curiosities, it has been a labor of love and not a bit of drudgery.

A consistent, recurring pattern has emerged through all these observations. The most successful, gap-closing, achievement-producing teachers view teaching as a craft. They are artisan-teachers… skilled in the craft of teaching.The word artisan has gained popularity recently. It has become an adjective that connotes a high quality, hand-made, unique nature.

An artisan “this or that” implies that a craftsperson created a product in small quantities, applying specialized knowledge and skill, with a measure of artistic creativity. We often hear of artisan bread, artisan cheese, or artisan jewelry.Historically, the word artisan is a noun. An artisan is a craftsperson. An artisan makes things. Stonemasons, coppersmiths, bakers, tanners, playwrights, songwriters, and tailors are artisans. The fruits of their labor have utility. They create items of value. The item’s value is not entirely based on utility, however. It is also based on beauty, design, and delight.