Monday, June 28, 2010

THE TEACHER AND THE STUDENT: The Virtuous Cycle

It all started with a post on my Facebook page that evoked several comments.
I especially was awakened by the one from Dr. Mary Ann Somervill, who in the several decades of our friendship, has constantly informed and enlightened me with her knowledge and insight. After all, what else could you expect from a Wiccan-Unitarian-English Professor?

Jerry Gillies I must be a great teacher. Several of my clients are reporting back to me increases in income far exceeding my own since our sessions together. I remember some years back teasing Jack Canfield about his getting a lot richer than me after attending some Moneylove workshops. And isn't that what teaching and mentoring is all about, having the student surpass you?

Saturday at 1:47pm · ·

MaryAnn Somervill
MaryAnn Somervill
That and learning from your students. Good for you, Jerry!
Saturday at 2:25pm · ·

And Mary Ann's comment filled in an important piece of it all, certainly a major part of why it feels so good when some you teach or coach or mentor takes in what you have to offer and processes it in his or her own unique way, filtering it through their own experience and turning into their own individual perception. It's the icing on the cake when you then get back from that former student something new that expands your own awareness and knowledge.

And it isn't only what I've termed the virtuous cycle (as opposed to a vicious cycle) involving the teacher and the student. It's also the basic cycle of life--the connection between parent and child. It is part of the natural and organic evolution of the species that the parent teaches the child so that the child will accomplish even greater wisdom and success than the parent--and hopefully pass it on to future generations.
And in the best of these multi-generational connections, the parent also learns from the child. Think how many parents have been depending, in recent years, on their kids to teach them the new technologies--how to master computers, the Internet, smart phones, etc.

And you don't have to be an author or teacher or coach to pass on valuable learning, especially by example. From my mother, Minnie Gillies, I learned to love the magic of books--she was a voracious reader. From my father, Edward Gillies, I learned how time was more important than money. Whenever he had to work overtime in his job as a foreman in a manufacturing plant, and had the choice between an extra day's pay and an extra day off, he always chose the time--even though the extra money would have been a nice addition to his lower middle income level.
Learning by example is still the best kind of learning there is.

Jerry
I also learned some valuable lessons from the popular music of my childhood. I discuss this on my other blog at:


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