Teacher

When we send our kids to daycare, school, or to an activity, what do we want them to learn?  Why do we send them?  As a parent and a Parent Coach I often ask myself the “whys?”  I send my kids to school because I want to them to find the joy in learning.  I want them to understand community, friendships, & social responsibility.  I want them to learn that I cannot teach them everything they will ever know.  I want them to learn that some teachers will be easier to learn from then others and how will they navigate each of those experiences.  I want them to learn to be responsible for their jacket, their books, their clarinet and their lunch bags.  I want them to learn the difference between working hard and slacking off and the how it affects the end results.  I want them to learn that they are the only ones who can decide how they will respond to the ways of the world.  At the end of the day when they leave school and go to play hockey I want them to learn how to work as a team, how to foster spirit, (if you know the Healey boys you know fostering spirit comes easy), how to loose, how to win, how to sit in the penalty box, and how to experience a learning curve when working on something new.  Whether at school or in an activity I want my boys to experience both frustration, joy and everything in between, with dignity and grace.  Hence schools, daycares, activities are just a means in which to educate… I was reminded of this as we entered into the new year:

Recently my three boys had their first day of ski school.  I am too unorganized to have even begun researching and poaching a teacher for them ahead of time.  Of course I would like them all to have a good teacher.  Yet other than showing up early on the first day, I do not have the time or motivation to call the ski hill and begin researching what is most often the transient and elusive ski teacher.  So there I was on the very first day second in line when I happen to see Robin Anderson!  Robin taught Cameron a few years back, and sadly Cameron missed the second half of the season due to an injury.  I told Robin that I would never get over it, as Robin, well Robin… hmmmm how could you describe Robin… The BEST ski teacher ever!!!  Ok, well seriously he was voted the most RESPONSIBLE, for multiple years in a row, and what parent wouldn’t want a responsible ski teacher.  Some could blame that on his age and hence his life experience, yet he may claim that to be unfair… and it would be rather cruel to reveal his age on a public blog.  He himself blogs and takes video clips every class and then magically edits these to music and can move even the most emotionally void person to tears.  If for any reason you were unsure that he is the best teacher you would know it from being at the front of the line on that first day of ski school.  You see, I was lucky enough to snag one of the two spots left on his class list and as I waited and watched the long line of ski schoolers checking in I only heard his name being requested about 100 more times.  I think by then the other 200 parents got wind that it wasn’t even worth asking.  I was feeling lucky and somewhat grateful for my rather unorthodox ability to be on time for pretty much anything in life – which in this case proved that maybe I should make more of an effort in the future.  However, what is more captivating is a recent email conversation we had! This is what is different… this is what Robin understands and appreciates.  So many of us can teach our children skills, but what they do with those skills now and throughout their lives is where the real education lies.  It’s the heart of the matter and his words echo what I believe to be true.  (notice how the skill of skiing – which he is teaching, becomes irrelevant rather quickly)

“I had coffee with two of my “20-something” instructors after kinder kids yesterday and we were talking about what we’re doing. As you’ve sort of figured out, I’m working on giving the kids skills they’ll have for life (and one of them might be skiing), building their confidence (“look what we just did!”), accepting responsibility for their actions (carrying their own equipment – skiing safely), leadership skills (leading the class on a drill or a “free ski”) and encouraging them to share what goals they want to achieve for the season, and work as a team to assist each other.
I went back and viewed some of the video clips the year Cameron and I were together. On the “Deidre Drop” (our training cornice above Jimmy’s Joker) Cameron: “Can I go?“… Me: “I don’t know, can you?“, and later in the season at the same location, Samuel: “You can do it Lily, you’re not going to fall!” … and she didn’t.”

So there it is… the “why” – it is not the achievement of knowledge itself, it is the path our children take to acquire it, and what they learn along the way.  The skiing is just a bonus and Robin, well Robin is a teacher by the true meaning of the word.

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