“Teach Me Something” was an amazing experience where each of us taught a lesson in something that we were passionate about. I chose to teach my lesson on disc golf. Other lessons included making paper airplanes, learning magic tricks, preparing different types of food, working collaboratively to build lego, paint, or make music, making key chains, learning math strategies, and so much more.
A large takeaway for me with these lessons was the amount of joy that the instructors had for their craft. This made me realize that when a teacher teaches with passion and joy, students buy in! We were engaged in the lessons because our teachers were engaged and excited with us. This is an important part of teaching.
Another aspect of this lesson that I reflected on was the patience that each instructor had with the many diverse learning styles in the room. They checked on our understanding, took the time to slow down if needed, and never made any of us feel inadequate if we didn’t quite get the concept.
Finally, this experience gave us the opportunity to teach and to feel excited about what we were teaching. Being able to walk away from a lesson that we felt confident and excited in is a feeling that I hope to have throughout my career.
If we aren’t excited about what we are teaching, how do we expect the students to be excited? How can I continue to bring this joy into the classroom? How can I ensure that I am patient with all learners? How can stay fresh in my instruction and delivery so that my lessons stay engaging?
The way I felt as both student and teacher in these lessons will stay with me forever.