I swear that I’m not trying to cop-out on this post. I’m just trying to stay true to my original intention of using the word prompts supplied by the wonderful Kate Motaung of Five Minute Friday fame and it just so happens that Day 4’s word was “Learn” and today’s word is “Teach.” I already wrote about 1,000 words on teaching and learning (you can find that here) and I didn’t want to repeat myself. So, I’m letting others do the speaking for me! The lovely images you see here are from Pinterest Boards on education or teaching. I just want to be clear that other, wonderfully creative people have made these gorgeous images. Thank you. They’re so much prettier than ones I could make!
These two quotes speak to the main point in my previous blog post. I want to remember that it’s not my job to force feed my students information or tell them what they should believe, or what kind of birth they should have. These are all things that I want them to discover for themselves – just as this next quote says.
I believe teaching is part education, but it also needs to be part entertainment! Especially when you have a crowd that is typical for a birthing class: half of them are not even sure how the subject matter applies because so far in this pregnancy it’s been “all about the pregnant person” and the other half of the class is usually in schleppy PJs by 7:30 – and you have to teach until 9. It’s a tough crowd, people, so you’d better…
This next image and quote come from a fantastic teacher and talented graphic artist who really gets what education is all about. When I read this, my first thought was – “Yes, it’s all true!”
I really do fall in love with my students over the course of time we spend together. And I’m so grateful that I get to be a part of their journey during this huge life transition. I’m so lucky!
On that same note, it’s such a gift that my job is so much more than my profession – it’s my calling. Not too many people can claim that for any part of their life’s work, yet I’ve been able to since even before I began teaching.
There are two groups of people in this world: extroverts and introverts. Can you guess which one I am? This is a great reminder for me to acknowledge all the wonderful people who come into my classroom – to recognize all the gifts they bring to the classroom and discussion. It’s helpful for all educators to be reminded of the differences between extroverts and introverts and to be sensitive in how we care for them while they’re in our classrooms.
There have times throughout my career where some of what is happening in the world of birth saddens me or makes me angry. But I refuse to give up. I am nothing if not an optimist and this next quote speaks to that. Plus – I really like Seth Godin and was psyched to see this from him.
Lastly, I really strive to never be mediocre, good or even superior in my teaching. I really strive to be a great teacher – one who can inspire others. That is a lofty goal, my friends, but one that has kept me going after all these years. I want to be great at what I do.
If you are an educator, which one of these spoke to you? Have you had a great educator in your past? What made them great? Please share any other great quotes about teaching with me. I just might start collecting them…
