07/06/2023
As I prepare to go back to school and routines next month, I find myself thinking about the teachers my kids will have in school this year, and what qualities I hope those teachers will have. This leads me then to think about what I want myself and the other instructors at Unity to offer to all of our students. Cuong Nhu has several philosophies that focus on how to teach well, specifically listing those qualities that highlight qualities of the great teachers I’ve had in my life.
Expertise is critical to creating the trust in a teacher that allows for the mind to open fully and accept what is being taught. We all begin with some concern that an authority might not be what they seem. We need to hear and see a teacher display and expertise in the subject matter and in the art of teaching. Then we can drop the walls of our well-guarded minds and allow for new information to begin to change us.
Eagerness refers to the joy of a teacher showing up each day for the students. One of the tricks the teachers use at Unity is to always be learning something new ourselves. This learning stimulation keeps us eager to share our love of learning with the students and give them that same sparkle of new experience that we have. When a teacher stops learning, the teaching spark begins to fade with it.
Enthusiasm refers to the love of our subject. We can’t only love the novelty of new ideas, but need to find the deep value in hard fought ability. In martial arts we learn to love the repetition of studied action so that through hundreds of hours we can build real ability that transcends thought and becomes reflex. Even for a scholar, the ongoing repetition of fundamentals that comes from reading, debate, and study ensure that their daily lessons are launched from an unshakable foundation. This enthusiasm for the act of scholarship propels the transmission of ideas.
Enhancement crosses the bridge from the teaching to the individual. What does this knowledge add to my life? Does this training build a skill that I can employ, abilities that improve me, or a community of people that enriches my life? Teaching withers when it only serves the teacher. The empathic link that allows the teacher to reach out and improve the life of each student where they are is what we all hope for in our classrooms.
Enamor encapsulates our ultimate goal in education. We as teachers want to create a love of learning, growth, and development. We do this by crafting our own fundamental Expertise through practice and ongoing study. This builds our Eagerness to share our Enthusiasm for our subject and training with students, and to help them Enhance their lives through this study. Whether you’re teaching or looking for a teacher, keep an eye out for the Five “E”s in Education to guide your life towards quality instruction that builds your love for growth and learning!