On Learning

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2009

On learning...

It's a train trip with no destination.  I never arrive anywhere -- just take another turn in the road/path/tracks.  One of my conflicts in being a teacher is that I feel like it's presumptuous of me to 'teach' -- the very word implies that I have knowledge that I should impart to others, so they can be knowledgeable too.  

I find that I am always learning so much....learning about information, history, culture, government. Learning about accepting others, learning about thinking, learning about what's precious, learning how to listen, how to communicate. I have so much more to learn.

I wrote this note about learning in a journal blog two years ago. Interesting that I had already decided to post about it in my 50th birthday blog.  

LEARN. The word that summarizes my work right now and my goals. I have lots of subjects and issues I am curious about. I am also trying to learn more about how I am. And I am learning about how students learn.  That's a biggie.

So, as I talk to my Ed Tech class at OSU, I preach my Learn sermon.  And that sermon basically tells them that their #1 objective in every moment of every day is for their students to learn. Stake a claim in academia, note the objective and then -- make all events of the day lead to learning.  If teachers can keep their objectives in focus, their students will learn so much.  And so will the teacher ;-)


Also, it's okay for teachers to learn from their students. And it's okay for students to know 'more' than their teacher. For me, that is when my best learning has occurred.