Good teachers are artists

Are you a teachable teacher? Are you open to learning when you are teaching or explaining something? The best teachers I have met are always willing to learn- while they are teaching. They are willing to challenge and expand their truth. My all-time favorite teacher once thanked me for all the things he learned while he was teaching me.

Many teachers, counselors, consultants, and parents are relatively set in their way of teaching. It is up to the student to flex into their way of doing things. The teacher is, after all, the master or expert.  This static approach of teaching is limited.

Different people learn in different ways. The way the teacher learned may not make sense to the student. Effective teachers are willing to teach from the perspective of the student. They get into the student’s world with them and explore with them a way to learn the material. Many times the teacher may not know ahead of time how he/she and the student are going to connect the dots. This takes a willingness to trust yourself in finding an inroad with the student.

Each time the teacher is willing to discover a new way of presenting the material, his/her understanding of the subject expands. Because the teacher was willing to get out of their own world (comfort zone), they see the material from a new perspective. The perspectives of the student and teacher often have a synergistic effect on each other. They team up and collaborate to solve the challenges together. Growth to both parties in inevitable.

And… good teachers are artists. They will creatively present the material in a number of ways until the student gets it. They rarely teach things the same way. This selfless stretching to adapt to the student allows the teacher and the student to have breakthroughs and discoveries.

It is what keeps the teaching fresh and relevant (and not boring).

What is your dream for humankind?

This blog is re-posted from January 17, 2011: Martin Luther King, Jr had a dream. Not for just himself- but for his people, and ultimately for humankind.

All dreams are awesome and powerful. Personal dreams for your life are essential to creating the life that you want. You deserve that and owe it to yourself. But on Martin Luther King Day, it is day to get outside yourself and reach beyond your personal dreams.

So… What is your dream for humankind? What is your dream for your people? How would you like to see the world change in your lifetime? How can you be part of that change?

My dream is for us to create a more collaborative way of life. That we work together to support and uplift each other. Not only is it natural for us to do this for each other, but I think we will ultimately need to in order to survive. The economy and the world’s challenges are forcing us to collaborate. We can do it willingly- or on our hands and knees.

So back to your dream for humankind. Focus on it today. Meditate on it. Offer a prayer for humankind. Share it with a friend. Respond to this blog. But, put it out there one way or another. Don’t keep it to yourself. It needs to interact with other people and other dreams. This will allow it to unfold itself.

Dreams, after all, are the most powerful thing on the planet.

What is your dream for humankind?

Martin Luther King, Jr had a dream. Not for just himself- but for his people, and ultimately for humankind.

All dreams are awesome and powerful. Personal dreams for your life are essential to creating the life that you want. You deserve that and owe it to yourself. But on Martin Luther King Day, it is day to get outside yourself and reach beyond your personal dreams.

So… What is your dream for humankind? What is your dream for your people? How would you like to see the world change in your lifetime? How can you be part of that change?

My dream is for us to create a more collaborative way of life. That we work together to support and uplift each other. Not only is it natural for us to do this for each other, but I think we will ultimately need to in order to survive. The economy and the world’s challenges are forcing us to collaborate. We can do it willingly- or on our hands and knees.

So back to your dream for humankind. Focus on it today. Meditate on it. Offer a prayer for humankind. Share it with a friend. Respond to this blog. But, put it out there one way or another. Don’t keep it to yourself. It needs to interact with other people and other dreams. This will allow it to unfold itself.

Dreams, after all, are the most powerful thing on the planet.

Predatory versus mutually beneficial interactions- you decide.

Our world has “de-evolved” or degenerated to the place where predatory interaction is the norm. Predatory actions are based on the notion that I can only gain at someone else’s expense. The underlying belief of predatory behavior (like that of greed) is that my resources are limited. I do not allow myself to see possibilities. So if I want something, I am going to have to take it from someone else.