To me, learning has been and always will be, a joyful experience. From preschool to high school, my education has comprised the most fond memories and largest growth developments that I can see in my life to this day. My love of being within the classroom is certainly part of what draws me back to teach and I have felt this calling since I was a little girl. But for those who haven't had this same love of learning or teaching, experiences with leading children are not as second-nature as they are to me.
Before you get confused and think this article isn't for you, let me elaborate. We are all teachers. Teachers are parents, grandparents, Sunday school leaders and coaches. They are also the cashier at checkout who smiles and makes conversation, the business man with his briefcase on the subway and the lady who kicks her dog when she thinks no one is looking. You get the point. We are all teachers, because we often do not notice those who are looking up to us. Obviously there are some who spend more time around our youth and children, but all of us to some extent play a role in the growth and development of the next generation. It's intimidating when you put it that way.
I think it's universally accepted that we want the next generation to have the best they possibly can. The best way to ensure this is to lead and to live in a way that teaches them everything they can't find in a textbook or a classroom. Of course this includes the big things, like manners, tying their shoes and the appropriate time to ask how old someone is. Subconscious teaching is more. It's treating everyone around you with respect. It's being on time. It's cooperating with your co-workers and taking criticism well.
Above all, it takes virtue. Children are constantly looking around themselves to see what it means to be an adult in this world. Show them love, show them integrity. Show them ingenuity, acceptance, and respect. After you show them these things, listen. So often there are assumptions made between generations, from children to millennials to baby boomers. If you take the time to answer the questions of those who listen to you, you may realize how much you have underestimated. Unfortunately, this change only happens if allowed.
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