Teachers As Lifelong Learners

Haydee D. Aguilar

As a teacher, there is a high probability that you entered the field of education, in part, because you love to learn.

The yearning for new knowledge is usually strong at the beginning of a teacher’s career.

However, as time passes by, some teachers lose their drive. They get comfortable with how they do things and lose the urge to push themselves outside of their comfort zones.

Yet the best teachers never stop pushing themselves to learn new things. They are constantly adapting and evolving, right up until the day they retire and beyond.

These individuals are lifelong learners.

The dictionary defines lifelong learning as: “the provision or use of both formal and informal learning opportunities throughout people’s lives to foster the continuous development and improvement of the knowledge and skills needed for employment and personal fulfillment.”

This means that lifelong learning can be in form of formal learning, like taking courses to explore innovative ideas, but there are many other opportunities to learn, we just have to be interested and eager to discover. Learning opportunities may come in many shapes and forms.

You might have an insightful conversation with a colleague or you might read an article on the internet on your way to work on a topic of interest. You could even watch and listen to tutorials, discussions, and forums online which can help improve your teaching.

With advances in technology, it’s never been easier for curious individuals to learn whatever they want and whenever they want.

You no longer have to wait five months for a conference. You can learn something new right now online, often for free. This type of learning can be just as useful as more traditional methods.

All lifelong learners will use a combination of methods throughout their lives to fit their needs.

The key is never to give up, to see yourself as a work in progress and to continually keep that zest for learning alive. By becoming lifelong learners, we set an example for our students because they practice what we teach.

This, in turn, encourages them to develop into lifelong learners.

Effective educators accomplish this by sharing experiences of working through the learning process.

--oOo-The author is Teacher III at Potrero Elementary School - Bacolor South District