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I'm not a native English speaker. But I'm working with a native speaker. She used the phrase,

I would rather educate you and have to go back and fix it

because I'm learning some stuff from her. But I really don't know the meaning of this. Could you guys help me out with this and how can I reply to this?

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  • Was this in writing or heard in speech? It would make more sense to me if she said I would rather educate you than have to go back and fix it, but if this is in an email or something, that line of thinking is obviously moot. Mar 3, 2020 at 20:48
  • She sent that through a chat after I thanking for teaching me. Mar 3, 2020 at 21:04
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    Perhaps a typo for than and she means that as a result of her tuition you will make fewer mistakes that she has to look out for and correct. Mar 3, 2020 at 21:06

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How can I reply to this?

ask her Really! People have misunderstandings all the time, people misspeak all the time. If somebody says something that you don't understand then the proper way to reply is:

Sorry, I don't quite get what you mean by that...

"Sorry" because its polite to apologise, it takes the blame out of the situation.
"quite" means "completely" (in this context)
"get what you mean" is a colloquial way of saying "understand you".

The meaning of the sentence seems to be:

I'd would [prefer] to [teach] you (to do something) (and then you do it, even if you, as a beginner make mistakes at first that I have to) go back and fix. (rather than not educate you and just do the task myself).

Eg. The "task" is "use publishing software to lay out a company magazine. She is an expert. You don't know how to do this. She has two choices. (1) She can lay out the company magazine herself. Or (2) she can teach you how to lay out the company magazine. She knows that you will make beginner's mistakes, and she will have to fix. Later you will be an expert. She prefers (2)

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