In theory, teachers should be the best students. That's because the teacher, through their own experiences of teaching, can understand the gamut of emotions of the students they have taught. A teacher should have seen firsthand the ups and downs of learning: from the frustrations and confusion to the elation and feelings of accomplishments - those precious light bulb moments. They can truly understand what a student needs, the many different ways in which to learn something new, and the many different ways to communicate the same message.
At OISCA, we make our teachers into students as often as we can. We hold teacher training workshops regularly. Besides learning a new skill or refreshing an old one, it is a time for teachers to gather and adds to the sense of comradery among them. But most valuable of all, is that it reminds them what it is like to be a student. To learn something new and have to work through it and to problem solve, both individually and also in collaboration as a group. This fosters a strong sense of empathy that teachers will have towards their own students who struggle when faced with some new challenge - and let's face it, everyday presents a new challenge. Here's to new challenges and to teachers who are life-long students!
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