Lessons I Learned from My Students

For one of my classes my teacher had us think about how what lessons our students have taught us. These were the three that I came up with.

1. My students have taught me how to listen to those that don’t speak. When my students are quiet, they still have words to say and are so much harder to hear than those who shout. I have to listen closely to see what those typically quiet students are saying to me through how they sit or when they look up at the board.

2. My students have taught me how to communicate better. I learned from my students how important it is to let them know why they are doing something. When they understand their purpose, they engage so much more. I also learned from them how important it is to be clear and say what I mean the first time. Students don’t respond well when they don’t understand what you are trying to say. Their life is often full of confusion and muddiness and I can be one of the few people in their life who speaks clarity.

3. My students have taught me that performance doesn’t mean worth. While this seems like something you teach students, my students that don’t put in a lot of effort continue to challenge me in seeing them as worthy students, who have value inside and outside the classroom. Even when they don’t turn in assignments or do poorly on them, this does not make them bad people. I know this deep down but it is still a challenge to see students as worthy even when they are “failing” a class.