Sindhura Reddy

Inspirational

3  

Sindhura Reddy

Inspirational

Teach And Learn

Teach And Learn

3 mins
172


My job involves me training clients, delivering workshops and presentations across the globe. As a result, learning is an integral part of my job every single day. So, I set aside atleast 15 minutes a day to learn something new that would impact my job.


Turning back the clock, I remember one particular incident during the initial training days of my first job. Nearly 10 hours a day were set aside for my study and hands-on practice for over three months. One day, my mentor who was also my first manager notified me that I would need to train a new joiner on the basics of the contents I was going through. Although I was more than glad to take up the assignment, I expressed my disappointment over my inadequacy in the subject. I asked for more time to prepare thoroughly. 

My mentor is one of my most favourite persons who I adore and deeply respect for all the value she has added to my life, my career, my mindset and my attitude.


She explained to me that, teaching is an integral part of learning. When you teach someone, you will be challenged with questions, doubts, arguments even. Further, you will yourself hear what you are saying, so it contributes to better articulation and hence, so much more confidence. Therefore, while self study is still the first phase of learning, teaching someone may be looked at as a second and an apt phase to strengthen concepts.


Like I was advised, I took up training the new joiner with renewed enthusiasm and responsibility. With each passing day, it became all about efforts to explore, help, make mistakes and fall yet get up and get going. At the end of the four weeks, I was immensely thankful for the priceless experience. The new joiner too admitted that he learned a lot.

Even till today, if ever I want to learn something new and do not have a trainee to implement the second phase of learning which is "teaching", I use "walls" as my students and teach. 

As I write about this incident, I remember how, as a school child too, I would often teach the pots in my mother's tiny garden. My mother, who is my first mentor and my first teacher should be given all the credit for bringing in a discipline around mine and my sister's study schedule and study patterns. In fact, when I chose to teach the pots, she encouraged me and would correct me too if I went wrong while explaining aloud. She would say that teaching the pots gave me better practice with concepts learned from books.

Her only concern was that I strained my voice a bit too much. 


I will always be thankful to both the special women in my life for this priceless lesson -Teach and learn. Every time I learn, I remember them both with much fondness.



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