When the student is ready the teacher will appear
On what it means to be a good student and a good teacher
Happy Sunday!
And welcome to today's edition of 'Conscious living with Purnima'. In today's post I share with you some of my learnings on what it means to be a good student and a good teacher.
I hope you resonate.
I like picking up new skills or learning from a MOOC as it allows me to become a student and also gives me the opportunity to meet new teachers.
Becoming a student over and over again has helped me learn more about myself - my learning style, understand what kind of teachers bring out the best in me, thrown light on some of my self-sabotaging behaviours that interfere with learning and opened my mind to ideas on how I can be a better student. And thereby a better teacher.
Today, I want to share them all with you.
In case you are thinking to yourself that you are not learning anything new and so are not a student & are not teaching anyone so are not a teacher, then think again. Life itself is our biggest teacher. So even if you are not learning under an individual, you are still a student - of life.
And every day, you get an opportunity to be a teacher to someone - a child, colleague, spouse, friend, or to even a stranger.
So, in that light we are all students & teachers. Having cleared that, let's move on to the lessons.
On being a good student
1. Effort matters:
“Nothing happens until something moves.” - Albert Einstein
If you want to achieve something, you will need to put in the effort. And this will involve getting out of your comfort zone, frequently.
I have realised that sometimes the universe tests you to see how badly you want something. And when the universe is convinced of your determination, it opens doors for you that you never thought existed and brings to your path teachers that show you the way.
“As long as you are trying you have the chance to succeed. You fail only when you quit trying.”
2. Focus on keeping a "Beginners mind":
“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's, there are few.” - Shunryu Suzuki
This is essential for learning to happen. Oftentimes we have the tendency to second guess how something will turn out based on past experiences and end up missing opportunities to experience something different.
Apply beginners mind to people as well as situations.
Meet every person like you are meeting them for the first time. And by that I don't mean you keep asking them their name every time you meet them. What I mean is you don't let your past opinions of them affect your current interaction. Know that people are growing & changing all the time.
In the same way approach every day with a fresh perspective of finding something new to learn or experience.
3. Be self-compassionate:
“Having compassion starts and ends with having compassion with all the unwanted parts of ourselves.” - Pema Chodron
Learn about yourself. You may be a fast learner or a slow learner. Use whatever your learning style is to your advantage instead of beating yourself up or comparing your learning curve with someone else's. What's important is that "you learn".
The mistake that I used to make was to rush the learning process without fully understanding what I was learning and its application in the real world. I realised how easily I was fooling myself into illusions of competency.
Today, I consciously take time to develop a skill, finish reading a book or do a course. It matters that I take time, as much as I need, to REALLY LEARN.
The second place where you can use some self-compassion is when you end up with a “not so ideal” teacher for your learning.
Know that you will not always find kind teachers with patience and empathy. Some might be rude, not understand your learning style and may be counterproductive to your interests. In these situations, you will need to step up and be ready to give yourself the positive self-talk you need to not lose faith in yourself.
On being a good teacher
1. Be empathetic:
As a teacher, it's important to make an effort to understand the students learning style. Other thing to pay attention to is the mindset of the student. Any mind block will interfere with smooth learning. These can be cleared with empathetic listening.
But for that you have to be curious and caring.
2. Avoid being condescending:
Even though as a teacher you may be more knowledgeable, the way you present that knowledge can influence learning.
People in general do not like to be talked down. So don't put yourself on a pedestal, especially if you are dealing with other adults (to think of it, even children don't warm up to an authoritative, ‘I know more than you' tone), and try to communicate the knowledge you have in a scientific, matter of fact and if possible, friendly way.
This is a ‘people skill’ that you should look at cultivating, if you wish to be a good teacher.
3. Give your students the time and space to figure things out for themselves:
As teachers it can feel exhausting when a student takes way too much time to understand or learn. But resist the urge to speed things up for them.
Many of us go about life thinking we don't have enough time. This is the biggest illusion of all. Pushing a student to learn quickly will only reenforce that myth.
Instead, tell them to take their time. You will be surprised how that will free them & allow real learning to take place.
Some of my best teachers, are the ones who have told me, "Take your time". And I will never forget them.
As we come to the end of my learnings, I invite you to reflect on yourself: What kind of a student or teacher are you? Which of these points connected with you and what you wish to act on to make yourself a better student or teacher?
Let me know in comments or write back. I would love to hear from you.
Wonderful post Purnima. Just reiterates how much one can improve as a student and a teacher.
As a mom, I can so much relate to giving the space and time to my kids to figure things out themselves instead of thrusting upon them.
Rush the learning part..100% ..been there...btw what is Mooc?