Never Stop Learning
Although some view college as a means to an end with learning, I believe it is important to continue learning and developing both personally and professionally throughout life. This maintains an open mind to new ideas and it helps me to grow and develop as an instructor. After all, if I am not willing to learn new ways of thinking and behaving, how can I teach others to do this?
Laurie B.
Hi Sabrina,
Well said. We, instructors have to keep our thirst for knowledge. If we don't we will be set aside by the students and not be effective at what we are doing.
Gary
I could not agree with you more. I believe part of being an educator is the thirst for knowledge. To think that learning is completed and there is nothing left to learn is arrogant. I think that is one of the things that is so wonderful about teaching in a technical field—things are constantly changing. Just when you finally grasped the changes, the newest version is released. This is very humbling.
Hi Loren,
Right you are. The key is to set up an internal method where by we can recognize new information and make it a part of our lives.
Gary
We should all try to learn something new everyday
Hi William,
Your story about learning much from your students is like my barber. He told me that if he has a question he can have it answered by the end of the day due to the wide variety of customers that sit in his chair. That is like teaching think how much exposure we get each day to diverse experience and thinking. Keeps up learning all the time.
Gary
One of the best things about teaching culinary arts is the many of my students have "real world" experience that I can learn from each day.
Hi Harry,
You make a great point that is often overlooked by graduates. They often times think that once they are graduates their lives will all fall into place, but as we know that is not the case. Their journey just begins at graduation. They do need to be those life long learners if they are going to continue to progress in their field.
Gary
One of the points I make with students is that when they graduate, they are just beginning the learning process. Graduation is the starting gate of a life of learning driven by professinal and personal curiosity of your field and the world around you. No field exists in a vacuum so students and graduates must kow about their world.
Hi Nick,
Great example of why we are teachers. I hadn't thought of our experiences in the way you shared them. We get to see the big picture and it is our challenge to help students to see the big picture in relation to their problems and solutions. By you knowing this you are ready to support the learning of your students.
Gary
I agree also. I always maintain, the main advantage to teaching is that you get to see all the problems and solutions the student have at the same time. Back when you were a student you only saw your problems and solutions. I learn something new each day, if not several things.
I 100% agree, always have an open mind, I learn new things every semester, which makes me a better instructor, always growing.
