#60 of 365~Leading By Example

Leading by Example essay winners: JR, Mark, and I with Dr. Rodriguez-Vargas

My Essay based off the following quote by John Adams: 

“There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other should teach us how to live.”

     Though it was 1929 and the world was very much a different place, John Adam’s idea of “two educations” still holds true today.  The preservation of education for work and education for life is a battle that teachers, students, parents, and the greater community fight daily.   With marketable 21^st century learning “buzz words” appearing in every educational blog, magazine, or TED Talk, a world of possibilities is at our fingertips and yet, we still need to know how to evolve, educate, and live within it. 

     My personal educational experience varied from public to private, to ultimately homeschooling.  While each had their strengths and weaknesses, it was the opportunity too homeschool that allowed me to excel in the subjects that most interested me. I was able to work towards my learning styles and regain confidence as a scholar. With a time frame that allowed me to get out into the world and see these subjects come to life, my path as a student (who would one day become an educator) lead me to believe that creative hands-on experiences are the best way to learn.  When learning about the Alamo, my siblings and I were packed into a fifteen-passenger van where we drove and had first hand experiences within the battleground that wrote itself into American history.  We then composed our own view on history, draw/paint/photograph the site, and interview historians.  This experience allowed my strength as a young writer to continue, my lack of interest in art to grow, and my social skills to broaden during our time with a private tour guide. 

     

     This experience is an example that taught me the skills necessary to make a living through communication, collaborating, and critical thinking while it also taught me skills to live creatively build character traits, and participate in cross cultural experiences.  An example of how we as educators and parents can create worthwhile learning adventures that will help our students to think critically, act responsibly, and lead with integrity. An opportunity to live within a world where our students will continue to learn from a multitude of cultures, grow in an abundance of knowledge, and share with those who have yet to understand the 21^st Century.

     As the Preschool Teacher to Brownell Talbot’s littlest learners, it is my responsibility to lead by example.  What better way than to daily dive into my student’s world where everything is a new adventure just waiting to happen!  This is where the classroom environment becomes a place of wonderment and discovery, and the grades to follow continue to explore hands-on learning with the student’s exceling and teachers illuminating the joys of learning.  This is how educators put students into the world, not just bringing the world to them.  This is where Brownell Talbot becomes the leader in teaching the future how to not just make a living, but how to live.