To teach is to learn

I have always enjoyed object lessons. There is something about creating a visual image of something that helps me to internalize the concept being taught.

There have been several times in my life that I have served as a teacher. A time in my life that I remember fondly is the five years that I worked as a public school teacher. During those years, I was actively involved in teaching and in learning. This image gave me an opportunity to reflect on that process.

In order for teaching to take place, it's partner activity must also be present. If there is no learning, then the effort to teach is in vain. This pair of activities must occur together for either to be fruitful.

Preparing for lessons, whether it was for school or church, was rewarding. Before I could teach a principle, I had to understand it or at least I had to lay the foundation for understanding it. I remember once, I was teaching a Sunday School class about the story of David and Goliath. I came away from the preparation for that lesson with a deeper understanding of and appreciation for David's courage as well as for the size and strength of Goliath and all that he can represent.

Sometimes, the roles of student and pupil can be reversed. One of the most rewarding experiences of teaching was watching a student grasp for the first time some principle that they were learning. I remember a time when I was teaching a language skills lesson. I asked the students to write a story in their own words about something that was important to them. I reviewed the objectives of the exercise, one of which was to present the story for display in their very best penmanship. One of my students returned his assignment in the most beautiful penmanship I had ever seen. He was so proud of his work! My problem was that I could not understand it because it was written in Cambodian and I could not read it. I returned his assignment to him in front of his classmates, asking him to return it to me in English. He was crestfallen and never returned the story. I learned that day to accept a child's work and acknowledge their effort. I would still have required the additional task from him, but I would have told him how beautiful his penmanship was and that I recognized his work.

Learning in a classroom is a reflection of the quality of teaching being done. When I was poorly prepared to present a lesson, participation was poor. When I worked hard at being prepared, I was more likely to have class participation. Students were excited about learning when I was excited about teaching.