Thursday, February 08, 2007
Lifelong Learning
I believe that every educator must be a lifelong learner to be effective. A teacher who is a student as well, who experiences a role reversal from time to time, not only develops knowledge of another field or better understanding of his chosen specialty but also benefits from new pedagogical techniques that may be applied in his own classroom.
For the past few years, I have enjoyed American Sign Language (ASL) lessons. For most people, it is difficult to learn languages later in life. Of course, ASL uses a very different medium of communication.
Since starting lessons with a private tutor, Ms. Lynn Sedlacko, who previously taught ASL at Wayne State University, I have become a much better conversationalist. We have been joined by a 3L student, Ms. Hayley Rohn, who has proven much more adept at acquiring signs as a beginner than I have ever been.
After our sessions, I am reminded of the value of education. I envy the students the opportunity to devote several years of their lives to the intensity of legal education. As scholars, our ideal is to offer more than ideas and doctrines; it is to inspire a passion for intellectual development through constant challenge.
