Present participle of instruct; teaching, giving directions, or providing knowledge and guidance to others. The act of imparting information, skills, or commands systematically.
From Latin 'instruere' meaning 'to build up, prepare,' composed of 'in-' (in) + 'struere' (to build). Originally referred to building or constructing; the educational sense developed from the metaphor of building knowledge or character in students.
The etymology of 'instructing' reveals teaching as construction work - we're literally building knowledge structures in other minds. Great instructors understand they're not just transmitting information but architecting understanding, laying foundations that students will build upon for the rest of their lives.
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