Whaaaat? Me, Teach?

Yes. You. In reality we are all teachers. We just specialize in different subjects and different sized groups.

I can see you don’t believe me. I can just hear you. “Not me. I don’t know how to teach.” Show me your passions and I’ll show you where you teach.

Show me your passions and I’ll show you where you teach.

You love to bake. Your kids gather around as you bake cookies. “Can I help? I want to help.” So you help them measure ingredients, combine them, and mix up the dough. You just taught someone how to bake cookies. Or maybe “all” you did was tell your friend the steps to making an apple pie. You taught.

“Oh, that’s not teaching!” you say.

Yes. Yes it is.

Have a passion for biking? “Hey Joe,” says your co-worker. “I’d like to start biking. What sort of bike do you have? What”s the safest route to ride to work?” As you answer those questions you just taught them something important.

Anytime you share what you know with someone – you teach.

My neighbor-turned-close-friend taught me to amend soil, how to choose plants, how to plant flowers and shrubs, how to add rocks, yard art and other finishing touches to create a beautiful place. She is a teacher.

Did you notice none of these examples include a classroom with 20-30 children? Whether one person at a time or a whole group, teaching remains the same. You impart your knowledge or passion to another in a way that allows them to master and retain it.

What most people really fear is classroom management with a group of children. (Shall we tackle that one in future post?) Or speaking in front of a large group. Those are not necessary ingredients for the making of a “real” teacher. So be free. Claim your title. Share what you love and say it, “I am a teacher.”