In learning, you will teach, and in teaching, you will learn.~ Phil Collins
It’s been a while since my Success Journey series so let’s do one more.
Last April, I was on a flight with a young man who I figured would be in his early 30s. We were seated in the exit row so the beautiful air hostess approached to get us acquainted with the responsibilities.
As she started “Gentlemen, welcome on board flight bla bla bla , as you know you are sitting in the exit row and....
I cut in sarcastically "I know I know..we are to stow everything above..not obstruct the ...."
She smiled politely and thanked me for a great job but insisted on reciting the safety instructions. I laughed and asked her to go ahead.
Our guy, curious, asked if I had worked as a flight attendant.
Of course not. My sister worked as one, but I didn’t learn that from her.
I memorised the instructions over years of frequent flying I told him.
Smiling at the air hostess, I added that being a crew member would be a dream come true for me.
"Really? Are you kidding me, sir?”
"Nope..can we swap places?"
“Sir, this is my 3rd trip today and it’s not even noon!”
“You are lucky”, I replied. “This is my 1st trip since January”.
We all laughed and then our guy chipped in what provoked this story.
“So what job wouldn’t you like to do?”
I was taken unawares so I thought for a few seconds and blurted out what readily came to mind, “Parking officer”.
“You can imagine such a thankless job. I mean issuing tickets to people who curse you while raking in millions for the authorities that couldn’t care less”.
After a short pause, he said “Teaching is the most underappreciated job and I couldn’t get paid enough to do it”.
“Interesting..why do you say so?”, I asked
He leaned towards me and whispered, “Observe the lady coming down the aisle for a minute”
I did, she was glancing on both sides as she walked towards us.
She seemed to be counting but she was no flight attendant.
Just a few feet before our row she accosted a teenage girl who was about to walk past her.
“Lisa, I thought I counted you earlier?”, she asked.
“Yes, Ms O’Donovan, we had to use the toilet” was her reply.
“And where is Aoife?”, asked Ms O’Donovan.
“She’s still there”, said the girl.
I heard loud giggles from the back and only then did I look back with keenness. The aircraft was dotted with clusters of teenage girls, obviously students on a tour or something.
No wonder the plane was noisy.
Two girls approached Ms O’Donovan. They seemed to ask her a question and drifted back to their seats giggling, possibly at her answer. Another who I assumed to be Aoife walked up to her, smiled and eased past her.
Ms O’Donovan shrugged and followed them.
At the front, she started counting afresh. Ambling down the aisle and glancing from side to side.
The Captain’s voice bellowed over the speaker “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome onboard Flight bla bla bla..
A frustrated Ms Donovan rolled her eyes and went to her seat.
I smiled at our guy.
Poor Ms Donovan, that count will have to wait.
I found the experience interesting because I don't consider teaching a hard job; better put, I haven’t given it a thought from this perspective.
You see, during our induction into the Diploma in Digital Arts & Humanities at UCC, we were asked what we expected to gain from the course. I narrated my intention to give back to Africa through free and affordable e-learning. This involves teaching and learning.
So a little research rewarded me with Dennis Hong’s thought-provoking article. He described teaching in many interesting ways and controversially claimed that “teaching is the toughest job everyone who’s never done it thinks they can do”.
And on learning, Shanna Peeples wrote
Dennis Hong also captured my current dilemma thus: ”When I decided to make the switch from “doing” science to “teaching” science, I found out that I had to go back to school to get a teaching credential.
“What the f — ?!?,” I screamed to any friends willing to put up with my griping. “I have a Ph.D.! Why do I need to go back to get a lousy teaching credential?!?”
I’m currently teaching and learning writing as the foundation of self-development through our virtual community.
But to do this in the public sector here in Ireland, I have to get a teaching qualification even though I did 2 modules; Communities Of Practice and Teaching & Learning Online in my postgrad studies.
Do I necessarily have to get another qualification?
Of course not, I can continue building online and ultimately develop digital courses.
Yet I yearn for teaching experience in a traditional academic environment. The congeniality of the in-person interactions, side chats, coffee breaks, and the physical library excites me.
I have only been involved in teaching and learning online for 3 years through the regular e-tivities we have on #CmonionlineCommunity.
My simplified but gradual lever-moving digital practice is partly laid out in the digital holy grail.
So far it’s been incredibly rewarding.
Not without the frustrations though.
I mean from writing, designing, editing, publishing and presenting to funding, I have to do a lot by myself with the limited resources available.
But I’m not deterred.
It is becoming smoother with consistency and iteration.
I’m also learning a lot.
And few things can be more encouraging than the fact that you are impacting others.
So for the foreseeable future, I will;
1. Continue building digital communities of practice:
2. Create digital products.
3. Write that book.
These will ultimately metamorphose into that institute.
But I’m still searching for an opportunity in academia.
Yes, I want to enjoy the best of both worlds.
My wish is to retire in the knowledge industry where I can continue teaching and learning. I can’t possibly think of a more exciting retirement.
If you enjoyed this, please share it and hit the follow button to join our community of digital creatives at cmonionline.com let’s grow together.
If you wish to emigrate or collaborate, send an email to me let’s work together.
