I’ve lost that learning feeling…
I’ve lost that learning feeling…
I have a dear friend who insists on doing something new every year. There was the rowing team, mime school, the voiceover class, and too many more for me to count. They don’t have an issue filing their time (always busier than a vampire at a blood bank) or finding a hobby (very serious about softball); no, they do it to remember what it feels like to be the learner.
I’ve always admired this perspective, but I didn’t truly understand it until the ETAMU marching leadership camp this summer. The dance aerobics instructor made the ‘harmless’ request that the staff join the class each day as participants. I took this exact same class 31 years ago and loved it, but back then, I could hide in a sea of adolescence. Not this time - there is nowhere for an out-of-shape, slightly overweight, mid(ok…LATE)-40s guy to hide. Thankfully, (I think) all the videos have been deleted, and while it felt like everyone was judging me, the reality is most of the time they were too busy trying to keep to spend much energy judging me.
The experience reminded me I’ve lost that learning feeling… (woah, that learning feeling…).
In just a couple of short weeks, my students will be back in action. While this is my 31st time in HS band (I’m really bad at graduating), at most, it will be their fourth. No matter how much they act like they’ve got it all figured out, they’re often as anxious, apprehensive, shy, sore (ok…not quite as sore) as I was at summer camp.
Dance class was both invigorating and embarrassing, and in a way, it felt REALLY GOOD. It felt great to remember what it is like to be new, (mildly) intelligent, trying hard, and still unsuccessful; to want to be better at something than I was capable of being in that moment.
In short, it felt good to remember what it is like to be a student again.
As a bonus, it was inspiring to watch a passionate, master teacher work us through the anxiety of embarrassment, challenge us, encourage us, and teach us. He was even better than I remembered him as a HS Jr in the summer of ‘94, and was a powerful reminder of not just what we teach, but the WAY we teach impacts our students.
See you in class,
Jeff