today i was thinking about what makes me happy. (like you do) and on the train to yoga i decided that learning really sets off a fire in me. if i had my way i would just keep taking intensive workshops on yoga and anything else that struck my fancy and i would be incredibly happy. sadly, with my needing to pay rent and oh, eat... that isn't so much in the cards for me right now.
but then, strangely enough, i got a present. the opportunity to teach a public class because a substitute didn't show up. and while it was terrifying (i like to have a little more planning than "do do doo, i'm going to yoga... never mind i'm teaching an hour long class") it also left me feeling so invigorated and happy. even now as i am replaying the class in my mind and scrutinizing everything i did and said - i realized that this was learning in it's finest. just because you are the "teacher" does not mean that you are not constantly learning from yourself and from your students. knowing this is the best present i could ever ask for, as it will continue to give me hope and happiness for months and (god willing) years to come.
xxx
One of the most important lessons as a teacher is to remember to be a student.
ReplyDeletethis is absolutely true. embrace the moment when you stand in front of a class and think "holy fuck, how do i go about doing this?" you of all people know, as a teacher even with a fine tuned lesson plan, you feel it every day you step foot in a classroom at some point in another... its actually oddly freeing. i used to fear it, but now i see it as a humbling and awesome reminder of what learning really means. and when you have to go off the beaten path and teach without a concrete plan, it serves to show you the depths (and hell, sometimes weaknesses) of your own knowledge. the test of knowing something is being able to pass it on. you know it, pass it on! :-)
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