Learning from Learners by Andrea

Learning from Learners by Andrea - September 2018 Scholarship Essay

In 25 years, I imagine a life filled with yellow pencils, decorative boards, broad smiles, and bright eyes. I will be educating the next generation of students, or so I am told. That is what my diploma and certification will say. The real truth is that my students will be educating me. Yes, I am the teacher. I am the one giving the grades, creating the lesson plans, leading activities, guiding conversations, utilizing my (not so valuable) art skills, asking questions, and providing answers. I am supposed to be the one providing the knowledge for my students. While I intend to do just that, I know that I will be learning far more than anyone else in the room, every single day.

At first, my learning will start small. The start of the school year will consist of learning faces, names, and maybe remembering a few silly stories shared by students or the name of a beloved family dog. This learning will set the stage for the plethora of knowledge that is to follow. As the school year progresses, my learning will progress. I will go from learning to put names with faces to learning about what makes each student unique. After learning the basics of each and every one of my students, I will learn about their learning styles. I will learn to identify the needs of all of my students and what I can provide them with so they are able to reach beyond what they think they are capable of. I will learn enough about each student to be able to connect with them and teach them in the ways that are tailored to their personalities and individuality. I will learn about their friendships, their family members, their favorite things, their strengths, weaknesses, hobbies, and more. The amount of information is endless.

As an educator, it is not enough for me to simply teach. The success of me as a teacher and my children as students depends on my abilities to learn all of the things that make my students who they are. When the school year comes to an end, I will learn about students’ vacations, camps, and family visits planned. I will reflect on the growth of my students and myself. I will learn from my mistakes and I will learn how to be a more receptive teacher for the next school year. I will never forget the individuals who I taught, interacted with, and most importantly learned from for nine months. I will have graduated from college in twenty-five years from now, but I will not have stopped learning.