The Gift of Teaching is Learning

I am a big fan of education. I think learning new things is the breath of life. I think we can improve our situation, our understanding, and our compassion by simply learning something new each day.

I think those that teach are a special breed, chosen by God to do good works for the benefit of us all. I think teachers work in challenging circumstances, with challenging people, under challenging funding restrictions. I think far too may of us take teachers for granted and the huge impact they have had on all of our lives.

I also believe that teachers reap greater rewards than any of us will ever know. The joy of teaching someone something new is one of the most fulfilling experiences ever. As a teacher you have the benefit of slowly examining a subject, wrestling around with it's deeper meanings and operations, then you must break it down into understandable bites so that you can give that knowledge to someone else. What a blessing it is to have the depth of insight and wisdom AND the ability to share what you know with others!

The gift of teaching is learning and the beauty is that it happens for both the student and the teacher. Students are blessed with new information and insights. The teacher is blessed with connecting with others in a way that can change their lives. In my life I have had chances to be taught and to teach. I have to say, for me, my times of greatest growth have come when I had to learn something to the point that I could teach it to someone else.

Our schools, our churches, our communities need dedicated teachers to help raise up the next generation. The wonderful part is that you do not have to know everything to become a teacher, you just have to be willing to learn. All you need is the appreciation of a hard days work, the understanding that not everyone learns in the same way, and the willingness to be open and honest with the people in front of you.

Teachers come in all different shapes and sizes. Some teach in classrooms, some in auditoriums, some in living rooms. Some teachers use text books, some use Bibles, some use knowledge stored away in the hearts. Some teachers have training, some follow a script, some just wing it and pray for the best. Some teachers have no idea they ARE teachers until someone else points it out to them. And if you are a parent, then you received your invisible teaching license the day they handed you that beautiful baby.

So..... Who do you teach? How do you teach? What are your areas of expertise? Where could you put your talents to work? What strategies do you use to help other people acquire new information? How could you use your skills and knowledge to improve the quality of life for someone else? Who is that special teacher that you need to go back and thank? Who is the new student that you need to connect with and bring under your wing?

My prayer for today is that we all take a moment to thank a teacher that was instrumental in our life. I pray that we acknowledge the importance of teachers and the game changing work they offer us. I pray that we are each courageous enough to see where we could help someone else by stepping into a teaching role. I pray that our lives are enriched by the experience and we become addicted to helping others grow. I pray that our situations, our understanding, and our compassion is stretched and improved by our willingness to teach, and to be taught.

Until We Meet Again,

Drea