When the Students Become Teachers
I am a teacher. That means my main job is to teach things to students, isn’t it? I teach and they learn. Perhaps this is true, in a way. But I have found that one of the first requirements for being a good teacher is to be a life-long student, and sometimes that means that my students are my teachers. And no, I do not teach high school. I teach third grade. These children were babies only eight years ago, and yet I have gained a wealth of knowledge from these little teachers.
What have I learned from my students over the years? Here are a few things that come to mind:
My students teach me wonder and delight. In her lovely poem “My Work is Loving the World,” Mary Oliver says, “Let me keep my mind on what matters, which is my work, which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished.” It is a shame that somewhere in the path to adulthood, most of us forget how to be astonished by the incredible world that surrounds us. One of the best cures for cynicism is to look at the world through the eyes of a child, and my students teach me this continually. We watch caterpillars turn into butterflies, and for them it is complete magic. I let them look at things under a microscope, and they are enthralled. I teach them to sing round songs, and they are thrilled by the wonders of harmony. When I feel weighed down by the daily grind of the ordinary, I need my little teachers to remind me that everyday life is a gift to be savored.
My students show me generosity. Children are the best givers. My students sometimes put me to shame in how quick they are to share with each other. A student who accidentally left his lunch at home may end up with more food than he needs, as his classmates rally around and share what they have. When students give me gifts, I love to see the light in their eyes. They are learning the joy of giving, and I am constantly learning it with them.
My students exemplify forgiving and forgetting. A friend of mine recently switched to teaching second grade after working with high schoolers for several years. She said that one big difference in teaching young children instead of teenagers is that second graders don’t hold grudges. I have much to learn from this wonderful trait of children. They tend to forgive and forget and move on much more quickly than adults. Two students may have a huge disagreement one day, and the next day they will be the best of friends and behave as though nothing had happened. Earlier this year, I had a difficult day with one student. I was not sure that I had used the right approach in correcting her behavior, and I was afraid she might be upset with me. But at the end of the day, she gave me a hug on her way out the door and said, “I love you. Thanks for teaching!”
My students have taught me to slow down. We live in a hurried world. Children are adept at teaching us the art of slowing down. Unfortunately, this can often be annoying and inconvenient. I read John Mark Comer’s book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry recently, and an important point he makes is that it is hard to love when you are in a hurry. I see the truth of this in my classroom. The times when I am most likely to be exasperated with my students are times when I am in a hurry to get through a lesson or to finish a project. Then I view their neediness as an interruption instead of an opportunity to show love and patience.
My students often show me ways that I relate to God. Sometimes I have recognized that the words coming out of my own mouth while talking to a student were really God’s words to me. It seems that every year I have at least a few students who are constantly rushing ahead and are so concerned with getting the next thing done that they miss important instructions in the present. As I considered why this is so frustrating to me, I realized that it is precisely the way I relate to God sometimes. I can think of many instances where I may never have gotten through to a student, but God got through to me.
What are you learning from your students? As we take time to listen and discover, our students can lead us to become better teachers.
