A Small Lesson

We have a tendency to assume that due to a lack of experience or traditional education children know less. “I’ve seen more of the world”, “I have more experience”, “I know how the world works”, or “You’re just a child”, are all sentences that I’ve heard said, and even thought myself from time to time. During those moments I could not have been more wrong.

It’s a matter of fact that the job of a Teacher is to pass on lessons, values and skills to their students. However, it should also be noted that the same fact is true for the teacher, in that they often gain something from their students as well. For the course of this past semester, I had the honour of working with learners that are enthusiastic, passionate, inquisitive, more so than most “adults” I know.

In the month of June, we worked with students to put together a Term Finale and Orientation for new and old families of The Gaia Centre. Each student came out of class time for extra sessions in order to create an event that was enjoyable and informative. Their actions and attitude through this time were inspiring. I watched learners working together, pushing each other to do better with kindness and determination. They took those ideas home and spent time honing their creative voice, dividing their time evenly between academics and the upcoming performance.

One particular learner missed a few rehearsals due to their school work and examinations. He had informed the team and it was an unfortunate but understandable occurrence. A week or so later, the learner showed up for his regular class and asked if he could still be a part of the program. My first thought, was to explain to him that as a budding performer and individual, it’s important to learn how to accept the consequences of one’s actions. At Gaia we understand it’s equally important to show initiative and I was impressed to see what the learner did next. He performed his piece in front of the class, and it was a top notch performance. Late at night when the whispers speak, legend has it that he stole the hearts of many an audience member.

Here’s what I think –  we as adults, sometimes tend to get caught up with ourselves, we take our positive qualities, skill, and experience for granted. On the other hand, with children, they’re still looking to improve, still being shaped by the world around them. Their innocence and sincerity is a quality that many of us have may have misplaced, maybe even lost. We might tend to place ourselves on a pedestal and look down on the world around us. But with kids, they are still looking up, still curious and still exploring, and we should strive to do the same.

That is a lesson I learnt from them.