Do It...You Know How....I Think

We all teach. Whether we want to believe it or not. We teach because it is our job, we teach by the way we live our lives, the values we hold, and even how we speak to those above us and below us. I have been surrounded by educators and education my entire life. I have seen the good and the bad and have seen how each can affect individuals around each. Sometimes teaching looks like friendship, mentoring, or role modeling. Sometimes it looks like a smile, a scold, punishment, or a simple “you can do it”. At times we teach even when we don’t want to. It is hard to be the bad guy. Lessons are not always enjoyable but if they are not taught they can also never be learned. Why do we teach? Most of the times the recipient will go against the teachings just to try and prove he or she can do it better. When the pupil comes back with their tale between their legs our first instinct is to tell them, “I told you so”. This is not always the best method even though there are times we could. This method is used to validate our own thought processes without the thoughts of teaching another lesson. This is the time we must realize the object of our teaching need us even more. When we step back and allow the lesson to absorb through the crevices we are then teaching. Our first thought is “Why won’t they listen?” Think about that for a minute. Did you listen? No, you learned from doing it wrong. You know the guidelines but if you can skirt them just a little maybe the goal can be attained in a shorter manner. This is why they don’t learn directly from us, because we didn’t learn directly from our teachers all the time either. Today’s thought was provoked from being at the horse barn. I have the privilege of watching Pea Pod teach her 1100 pound thoroughbred what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. She has been trained in what to do and so has the horse. The balance between what he wants to do and what she wants him to do is a dance they both respect; both wanting the other to give in. Brianna has the lunge whip and the round pen to keep him corralled. Johnnie has his enormous size and speed and stubbornness to keep things interesting. My beautiful wife also now has a horse. She is an educator by trade and has raised the little girl we admire in the pen. She has been there for all the lessons, the trainings, and even has the knowledge to assist with all the other riders and horses. Enter her own steed, Yonka, and Oh how things change. He is an adorable horse with an amazingly charming personality. She can put me in my place, ban Brianna from the TV, but when it comes to Yonka the educator becomes mush. She wants to teach but the love is still strong and the relationship is too new to punish. She does it, he fights, she pushes, he fights, she loves, oops that’s not supposed to happen, she pushes, and finally he recants and does as he is supposed to. It is at these times when I wonder who is the educator and who is the student. We can all take a lesson from times like these. Even when we are the educator there are times we learn from those we are trained to teach. What did you learn today? How are you going to spread that knowledge?