When Students Learn You

In the book Time to Think, Nancy Kline shares an anecdote that made me reflect on my life as a teacher.

Nancy, a young teacher in her first year, was called to the headmaster’s office because a student's mother complained that she was being a corrupting influence for teaching D.H. Lawrence in her senior literature class. The headmaster listened carefully to Nancy's explanation and, when she finished, he said: “I don’t care which books you teach, as long as you remember one thing: the students are learning you. They will forget about D.H. Lawrence. But you and your life they will remember. Be sure you like what they are learning. Go back to work. I’ll handle Mrs. Andrews.”

The headmaster was teaching her him too.

What I’ve come to realise, probably a little late in my teaching career, is that the students are learning me. My values and beliefs, my ways of interacting with them, correcting their mistakes, owning my own mistakes, my approach to learning: all my hows, whys, and whats.

It might seem obvious: your students are learning you. If it is, then you already understand. For me, it was a powerful reminder that my influence goes far beyond the content I teach. The little expressions on my face, the frowns as I try to understand what a student is saying, the small apologies for being late to class after I’ve agreed that we all respect each other and are always on time…

My students are learning me.

Am I sure they like what they are learning?