little name and number here
Tittle would be good too
The farther one gets from regulated, cookie-cutter, pre-ordained ordinary life of which academia is the epitome, the closer one gets to the out-of-the-ordinary, the fantastic, the inexplicable, the experiences that are living rather than existing, about which time and time again it is said ‘I would do that again in a heartbeat,’ ‘That was such a learning experience,’ ‘That was incredible.’ The classroom is no substitute for real life. It must therefore be real life. If we cannot teach anything other than figures and dates and methods to the next generation then our efforts are pointless.
We must not merely provide information, we must teach. We must accept our collective responsibility as mentors and guides to our fellow human beings in all things. We are all learning constantly, and therefore we must all be teaching constantly. If English is taught by a man with a short temper, will a child learn to spell, or to never speak up? If math is taught by a woman with no authority, will a child learn to add or to ignore the rules?
To be a teacher is an awesome responsibility. It is the responsibility of changing the world, of creating the future. If an adult does not know the history of his country, who is he to vote for our leader? If an adult cannot express herself clearly and correctly in written English, why on earth would anyone give her employment?
As teachers, we have a vitally important job in our society. We must teach. We must teach in equal measure English and confidence, math and logic, history and foresight. We must teach clearly and with skill, with great enthusiasm and great patience. We must be always learning, from other teachers and from every other opportunity God gives us. We must learn about politics by watching the weather, we must learn about God by listening to music, we must learn about our students by taking notice of everything they do. And as we learn we must teach. Every question asked must be answered, with truth and attention to the interest and comprehension of the listener. Every revelation must be passed on, every discovery shared. That is the only way to teach. Recitation of facts does not teach. Tried and true methods must be tried again, to test whether they still are true for this time, for this class, for this student. New methods must be invented, new games, new experiences, new lessons, and new tests.
We need to find ways of enticing students until they are eager to learn and eager to soak up information. Then we must give them information. We must give them the information they want, the information and the skills and the attitudes they will need to survive, to live life to the fullest every second, to learn always, not merely the information they need to pass a test, memorized once and then forgotten. We cannot afford to teach worthless information, and worth must be judged by the student and a teacher with the foresight to see the future of this one student, to see what they will need to know tomorrow, next year, as they take their last breath.
We must teach, yes, and we must also share, and learn, and inspire, and coach, and explain, and explain again, and push, and cajole, and entice, and surprise, and understand, and question, and answer, and comfort, and guide, and predict, and change, and try, and apologize, and live, and love. That is what it is to teach. It is the least we can do.
Teaching is the most challenging task in all the world, if it is to be done well, and it is also the most rewarding. I have tasted that reward in small doses, and I know I can never be anything but a teacher, in some capacity or another. And so I write this, hoping that I can continue my education as a teacher with you.
aww, so cute...
