Teach, Inspire, Motivate

When I was young, I taught my stuffed animals everything I learned at school, every day. As soon as I got home, I would set up my classroom of stuffies and proceed to teach them what I had been taught. Some of them were very good students; others, not so much. In my imagination, they asked tough questions, made me think deeply about my school work and ultimately, helped me learn more than I was teaching them. And, of course, they were nothing more than fabric and foam but to me, they were my responsibility and I took them all very seriously.

Fast forward to today and I have the honour of teaching others as a part of my grown up job. The skills I was honing in my early childhood are now actively supporting my teaching others. It’s funny to think about how something seen as so silly to an adult became one of the greatest predictors of how my life would take shape.?To teach or not to teach? That was a question I never asked myself. I simply taught. Not necessarily to help others but to learn myself and I still do, every time.

But teaching itself is not enough. The lessons to be learned are not the most important part of why we share knowledge as the knowledge itself is of no value without inspiration and motivation.?

Using what you have knowledge of to inspire others and motivate them to become their truest selves is the real work of a teacher. The knowledge on its own is just an ego enhancer. Put into action and infused with the students' own unique gifts and skills is where the magic happens.?

I encourage everyone to teach others what they know. Use your unique knowledge, gifts and skills to inspire and motivate others to do the same. It’s what our species does best. It’s how we survive and thrive. And, it's absolutely the best way to learn yourself!

Amber (aka The Feisty PM)