Learning and Teaching By Linda Stowe
I have always loved going to school, and I’ve often thought about why that is:
1. I am an introvert, and the classroom offers a controlled, predictable environment where I can mingle with others in a way that feels comfortable.
2. Every day brings a new opportunity to learn something unexpected. The more I understand the world, the more confident and grounded I feel.
3. I do my homework, which earns positive attention in class, which in turn motivates me to keep doing my homework—a satisfying loop.
4. All my life I’ve been able to build and create from what I learned in the classroom. That includes the incidental lessons as well as the curriculum. A classroom is like a petri dish where ideas, facts, and questions can leach into your brain.
As I neared the end of my working life, I thought I would like to teach. I expected to relive the excitement I felt as a student, but it wasn’t the same. Teaching is hard work, made more challenging because it demands knowledge and skills I didn’t yet have. Teaching and learning are not two sides of the same coin; instead, they are distinct abilities, and excelling at one doesn’t guarantee strength in the other. I was a strong student, but that didn’t automatically make me a good teacher. That, too, was a lesson I learned in the classroom.
Wordle guess words: about, teach, leach
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Polly here.
Teaching is a hard gig. It is a huge responsibility, for one thing. There also seems to be rising expectations, yet they are often faced with a lack of support and funding. Two other things happened with that. Many parents no longer have respect for teachers. And, as a result, many students no longer have respect for their teachers, either. At least, not in the way that we did when I was in school. Back when I was in school, the teachers laid down the law and we abided.
There are also cultural issues. Our nation is now polarized. It never used to be this way. There are now mental health issues. We never once heard the term “mental health” when I was growing up. The closest thing is if someone had a severe problem. And then, sadly, they were just labeled “retarded.”
Back to teaching. It is a difficult thing. But it is SO important. We should pay our teachers what we pay athletes and flip those salaries. Then we might be getting somewhere.
As for learning? It is golden. It is a gift. It is magic. Learning is the breath of life.
I try to learn something new every day. Even in small ways. Our Universe is infinite. There is much for us to realize about our human lives. And everything around us.
Like this! Mice can squeeze through holes the size of a dime. If a mouse’s skull fits, the rest of its body can follow. Their bones are flexible, and they’re basically liquid when it comes to tight spaces.
Knowledge. Socrates said that knowledge only grows when it is shared.
Gain some and share some today with the world.
Learning and Teaching By Linda Stowe
