There must be no doubt that teaching is a very challenging job, exhausting and one that requires a lot of responsibility. It has its ups and downs like any other job. The main difference, however, lays in the fact that it is a very rewarding job, one that brings you joy on a daily basis.
Except the joy it brings, other benefits that come from teaching are:
Enhanced communication skills
As odd as it may sound, communication is best harnessed through teaching. Often, communication is taken for granted and so we fail to comprehend its true importance. Although communication, simply put, is the process of passing information from one place or person to another, communication is also the ability to be understood. Teaching, therefore, enhances your communication skills by forcing you to communicate your thoughts in a precise, short and clear manner.
As a teacher, one does not only transfer information to students but, what is more important, in the process of doing so one has to be understood. Thus, teaching best develops one’s ability to describe ideas and concepts well enough so that others understand. Through teaching one will have to use body language, facial expressions and all other kinds of communication so that their arguments are grasped well enough by others (students). Thus, it is not to be surprised that as a teacher your thoughts and concepts will in any case be not more effective than your ability to make others understand them.
Becoming a lifelong learner
Teaching is a learning experience on its own. Often seen as the most effective way of learning something, teaching is also the most accurate test of whether or not one truly comprehends an idea or concept. Teaching requires complete understanding of a concept and without fully doing so one cannot teach it to others. Students will ask all sorts of questions and as a teacher it will be your responsibility to answer their questions in a simple and concise way according to their level of comprehension.
Therefore, teaching is one of the best ways of learning an idea or subject. Although one might trick him or herself in believing that he or she has mastered an idea or concept the best way to test that is by trying to teach it to others. Doing well on a test or exam does not necessarily mean that one has fully comprehended it. It could have been luck; memorization or the tricks that helped you pass it. On the other hand, teaching that same subject or idea to someone else will not only test how good you understand the matter but is will also push your boundaries of knowledge further. Teaching will make you a lifelong learner, a hunter of the latest developments and a seekers of deeper meanings behind various phenomena.
Improved personality
Teaching improves one’s personality in many ways, making one a better person. First of all, through teaching one learns to become a better listener. Being a good listener is very important, especially in today’s interconnected world that is becoming globalized more and more everyday. As people we have gradually started to lose our ability of listening to others with empathy. Yet, being a teacher will help you become a better listener. In order to assess how well they’re doing, how they’re feeling and what they’re thoughts and view are, as a teacher you will have to know how to listen to them. Your students want to feel important and knowing that someone is listening to them intently, caring about what they feel and think, will bring you great results in the classroom.
Another way in which teaching improves one’s personality is by becoming emotionally attached with the students. Through teaching one gets to see the difference he or she is making in a student’s life, be it little. From the first day you enter the classroom to meet your students and on, you will give your very best everyday to teach them to the best of your ability. Their failures will be yours and their achievements as well. You will think of ways on how to better explain a subject or idea so that they better understand it, you will foster their creativity and imagination and ultimately you will want to them succeed in life. Seeing the fruits of your efforts everyday will encourage you even more to go beyond what you thought you were not capable of.
Thus, teaching is indeed a truly rewarding job, one that brings joy and happiness on a daily basis.
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