We are all teachers
Teaching is a noble profession (well, he would say that, wouldn’t he!) because it is the profession that makes all other professions possible. The influence a good teacher can have on a pupil is often the making of the adult. I dedicated my book, ‘Just Between Ourselves’, to my school teacher, Master Lawlor, ‘who opened my window to the world.’
Yes, it is a teacher’s job to teach and the vast majority dedicatedly impart a wide range of knowledge into what are usually receptive young minds.
But are we not all teachers, no matter what we work at in life? In fact, most people spend all of their lives being both teachers and pupils. It doesn’t matter what we work at, or what we do; we first acquire knowledge from our ‘teachers’ and then in time we pass that on to our ‘pupils’. Everyone has to learn the ways of the world from fellow life travellers and then we in turn pass on that expertise to those following behind. We all learn from others, bad habits as well as good, so the learning process can always be said to be ‘for better or worse’.
An apprentice or new person on the job starts learning from looking, listening and taking stock of how things get done around here. It is the nature of a young person to ask loads of questions, be curious and want to know what makes things work. The person with the knowledge they look up to becomes that person’s teacher.
I recall telling you a story in YCBS many years ago in a column under the heading, ‘The most skilled man in Ireland’. That opinion illustrates that in the University of Life, a teacher does not need a parchment with a bow or a string of degrees.
The column in question claimed that the most skilled man ever in Ireland was the old style farm labourer back in the day. That man could do everything asked of him, from building and horticulture, to veterinary, carpentry, laying down a hedge, painting, pruning and baby-sitting. The young rural lads learned how to use their heads and their heads from that teacher – a humble farm labourer.
Giving example to others is teaching. The decent man or woman going about their everyday life in an honest fashion are teaching those around them how to behave. They affect numerous pupils every day. Unfortunately for society, the drug-dealer, the criminal and the abuser are also teachers. It is only the grace of God that saves most young kids from following that sort of ‘teacher’.
Meanwhile, back in the classroom, the good teacher needs to possess good skills in communication, listening, apathy and patience. There isn’t any tuition through corporal punishment, as was the case in bygone years. It is far better to have those good memories of learning from the classroom, workplace and sports field. We all learn how to act by listening and watching other people’s choices.
No one knows everything and every person has some unique skill or story to share. That is why it is important to show respect as well as patience when explaining something new to a pupil of any age. There are those who, just because they know how to do the thing, treat those who don’t as a kind of ‘eegit’.
I always say that the reason manuals are difficult to understand is the guy who wrote them knows how the thing works and I don’t!
In order to keep on learning, an open mind is the key. Be willing to consider new ideas, perspectives and experiences without immediate judgment. A bit of intellectual humility - as in admitting you might be wrong in your beliefs, will help in a major way.
The takeaway from all of this is that throughout our lives, we are all both students and teachers. We should never cease learning and we should always be prepared to pass on the knowledge and skills we collect along the way. By teaching another person how to do something they previously struggled with, you also cultivate self-esteem, self-confidence and self-worth in that person.
My eldest grandson, jack, has just started college in Galway. Jack is a great guy who didn’t have an easy year but he worked all summer in charge of the kids play area at a big hotel. They say he is kind, patient and obliging… but we all know that already! I told Jack he would make a great teacher and he should go for that.
Jack’s reply to me was; ‘maybe, Grandad, but I have a lot to learn first!’
He’ll be Ok…
Don’t Forget
Don’t mind criticism. If it’s untrue, disregard it; if it’s unfair, keep from irritation; if it’s ignorant, smile; if it’s justified, learn from it.