Learning From Students

I am always fascinated by the things I learn from the students I work with. Take the economic lessons I have been getting from Brady. Bringing back memories of my economics classes in college. Amazing the things that do actually stick with you - proving that some of those classes you take are really worthwhile! He has really forced me to educate myself, be open to hearing alternative viewpoints, and be able to defend my positions on the economy and the state of K-12 education.

Then there are the random conversations that you never know where they will lead. This past week, I challenged the Emerging Leaders group to learn about their cultural heritage as part of our discussion about diversity. I mentioned that I was starting to explore my Scottish heritage. One of the students, Scot, came up to me after the session and shared what he had been learning about his family background. We had a follow-up conversation about this topic later in the week, which really has inspired me to want to do more research. It's important to learn where we come from and who shaped who we have become as individuals.

As educators, we need to be willing to be open to the fact that we can learn as much from our students as they do from us.

Continually learning from my students,
Brenda