Teaching: A way to become a better person

Josh Steier
Nov 6 · 2 min read

In late August 2018, I started teaching physics laboratory classes at my university. The class size is roughly 17 students and students are either freshman, sophomores, juniors or seniors. The students come from a variety of diverse backgrounds and fields of study. As I entered the laboratory class on Thursday, I did not anticipate that my life would be changed forever by my students.


Although the great professor seeks to impact students positively, the truly great professor is impacted upon by the students. My creed as an instructor has always been one of kindness, patience, and paternal love towards my students. I seek to motivate and inspire the next generation of scientists since our world is heavily dependent on the actions and abilities of the younger generation. In motivating my students, I started to gather a deeper understanding of my motivation and why I pursue science. I concluded that my motivation is the ability to cause positive change in the world. For instance, scientists can solve problems of world hunger. This is evidenced by the efforts in [1].


By fostering an environment of kindness and love, I began to treat myself the same way I treat my students. We should be patient, loving and kind to ourselves to promote a healthy mind and overall growth. Traditionally I have always criticized myself for failures in the past and lack of achievement at my age when others have achieved great feats. Through my students, I now see failures as an opportunity for growth and continue to realize that everyone goes at a unique pace meant for them. Above all, from my students, I learned to love myself. We all deserve to be loved, and I am grateful for my students and the lessons they continue to provide me.

Teaching inspiration, from https://www.ifthencreativity.com/2017/06/15/end-of-the-year-teaching-inspiration/

Being an instructor in any capacity provides this unique opportunity to become a better person and I encourage readers to follow this path to continual growth.


References:

[1]: José Tena Medialdea et al., Potential of science to address the hunger issue: Ecology, biotechnology, cattle breeding and the large pantry of the sea,
Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, Volume 3, Issue 2, 2018, Pages 82–89

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade