Oh to do the unthinkable! I used Wikipedia to verify my definition of an "epiphany".
Have you ever had an epiphany? I seem to have them all the time. To me these are the "aha" moments; whether pertaining to me personally or when as a teacher I see the light go on for one of my students. Alas, the latter epiphanies can sometimes be far more rare! Throughout my life I have experienced too many "great moments" to be able to single out just one. I have been blessed with great associations and mentors. As examples...
...I can describe the invaluable life-lessons I learned in my youth from working with 3 older ladies who taught me how to deal with hateful and rude customers. To these ladies, I owe my ability to interact and speak to just about anyone I come into contact without intimidation!
...I owe my problem solving, technical speaking and writing skills to my old boss (a brilliant PhD Analytical Chemist). From him, I gained the ability to endure professional criticism and high levels of "red ink" as a result of working with him for 17 years. He was a great mentor who taught me "how to learn".
These epiphanies (and innumerable others) are why I finally decided to go into teaching. There are few rewards possible that can beat the look a student gets when they finally understand something they have been wrestling or struggling with during class. These are the "wow" moments that make teaching worthwile for me and assure me this is where I can contribute the most to "my fellow man".
Isn't it fabulous to be able to pull the strings to turn the light bulbs on? As the characters of Star Wars say, "May the Force be With You."
ReplyDeleteI really like your comments on this subject, particularly your emphasis on the point that we have all had numerous 'epiphanies' over our lives. Taking a moment to reflect on those and realizing how many people and their actions have added to our educations would be a worthwhile investment for all of us.
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