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Since the birth of humanity, humans have been sharing their knowledge and thoughts through various forms of dissemination. It all began with painting on the walls of caves and today we have vlogs and micro-blogging to air out our thoughts and wisdom.
Although we unconsciously pick up knowledge from all around us, conscious and structured learning pauses after school and college. When learning plateaus, so does our growth. Back in the day, skill building was such an important part of one’s occupation. Today, despite the best efforts from learning & development teams within the organization, skill building occurs at best in spurts.
The best way to shake things up is to make learning a part of our life. And for that we need teachers. Not the kind with a ruler in one hand and chalk in another. But the kind that can share their knowledge and help us grow with the times. When people share their top skills and knowledge with others, we all can grow together as a community. This is especially true for high-achievers like entrepreneurs and change-makers around the world. When they share their growth stories, tips and tricks, wisdom gleaned from experience, they help others reach their true potential with their insights.
So, instead of having a learning curve that stops at college or school, we now have a cyclical system that reinvigorates itself. We create a learning ecosystem.
What can we gain out of teaching? Well, plenty!
Become an expert by sharing your knowledge
Research on retrieval practice suggests that when you recall and share your knowledge with others, you retain it better. The protégé effect adds to this and makes sure that you learn more and gain more core competencies in your subject when you teach it to someone else.
Connecting the dots and filling the blanks
Even though we consider ourselves experts in our subject matter, there are plenty of loopholes in our understanding. After all, it is an evolving world and yesterday’s technology is not relevant today! So, the more we pass on our wisdom, the more we keep ourselves abreast with the updates and become stronger in our subject.
Become an expert
Sharing is not only caring, but it also makes sure that we become experts. It pushes us to explore more, find creative ways of sharing our ideas and become masters. This further increases our confidence and competency.
Impact and inspire the future
You are prepping future leaders and entrepreneurs when you pass on your knowledge to others. The more you share, the wider is your impact on the future. You provide essential skills and know-how to people who are looking to fill the gaps in their own resources. The future will be grateful for your contribution!
Brand building and exposure
As an educator, you are the beacon shining the light on plenty of eager learners. Your network builds, your value builds and you get a wider reach. If ever there is a great and fulfilling way to build your brand, it is through teaching.
A happy job
Why do people teach? It gives them the joy to have influenced another life in a positive way. The level of satisfaction you will receive when you teach is unbelievable. It is not just beneficial for the learner but will siphon tons of positive energy into your life.
Opens up your mind
It takes all kinds of people to make the world and teaching usually expose you to a wide range of them. Every day you will encounter people who have different life experiences, follow a culture unlike your own and have varied belief systems. Your biases and narrow perspectives break and a more holistic viewpoint rid of all misconceptions begin to form. This widens your horizon and makes you a well-rounded individual.
A whole new career
Educators meet so many people from different areas of life. This opens their world to speaking opportunities, book deals, new career paths, etc. So, if you choose to be an educator, it could mean opening the door to new opportunities.
As William Arthur Ward said, “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” There is nothing better than sharing one’s ideas and knowledge with others, growing and helping others grow. The nurturer gains as much as the nurtured and we build a learning ecosystem that helps in the development of the community.
