Teachers Who Love Teaching, Love Learning Too

Have you ever heard the adage from Robert John Meehan that goes, “Teachers who love teaching, teach children to love learning”? I think we can add onto that quote with something about teachers loving learning, too.

I LOVE to learn. There’s so much to be known, studied, understood, and explored in our world that we can easily feel overwhelmed. Whether you love to curl up with a good book, listen to an uplifting podcast on your morning commute, or get hyped by a fascinating documentary, you’re learning. Even if it’s just teaching you more about who you are and who you strive to be. 

When I entered college, I became more interested in psychology and social sciences - how we think, about ourselves and others, and how it affects the societies in which we live and work. If you studied Education, chances are that you also took some variant of Child Psychology 101, which provided an overview of how children grow, develop, and learn. But you don’t need a college degree to tell you that children are naturally curious. 

Our best way to promote that curiosity and encourage kids to be life-long learners? Leading (and learning) by example. Show your students or children what makes you curious. Show them how to search for what excites them, and push them to ask questions about their world. Tell them about a cool movie you saw, the topic of a book you’re reading, or an amazing story you heard on the radio and share your learning experience with them. 

In the past, when students pondered a question that I didn’t have an answer for, I might have just Googled it or told them to do the same. But now, I like to respond with: “That’s an awesome question. I’m curious to know the answer too - will you report back when you make a discovery?” This has not only been a more effective strategy for my students’ own learning, but in turn, I’ve learned about the capital city of Azerbaijan (it’s Baku), why the ocean changes colors (phytoplankton and sediments, among other factors), and so much more.

It sometimes feels like as adults, our interests need to be related to our careers to be purposeful or productive. Or, we need to be an expert in a topic that excites us. Instead, let’s just keep learning about anything we want - and encouraging the kids in our lives to do the same.