Learning by teaching

Posted In: Coaching April 6th, 2017 divider No Comments »

“To teach is to learn twice over.”
~Joseph Joubert

I remember seeing quotes about learning by teaching before I really taught and thinking they were quite flowery and full of b.s. Now I look forward to teaching anything I know something about since I know it will pay me back in so many ways.

Teaching is a big part of my everyday, whether it’s media training, running and now some nutrition. And it’s also become one of the things I’m known for. There are worst things!

I had an opportunity to teach 3 days in a row in the Ottawa Valley earlier this week. 2 different groups and a handful of different styles of learners.

The first group (see picture above) was my usual public workshop I’ve been teaching in the area for close to 5 years. A great afternoon spent in the sun with some great ladies. It was fun and productive and quite

I then got to teach a special group of runners from our military the following 2 days. I can’t name the group (or show pictures) but let’s just say I was humbled and quite proud to be able to bring something to the table for this group.

Again, very different group, different ages/backgrounds/abilities/body types. But they all wanted to get better and they did in their own way. It was cool to do a video analysis with all of them on the final afternoon to wrap it all up. Although they weren’t perfect runners by any means (who is really?), they all had improved tremendously. They all had the big rocks going in the right direction (posture, cadence & relaxation).

The group also gave a very nice token of their appreciation. Teaching is something I do often now but it’s always nice to take a step back and be appreciated for the small changes you bring to people’s lives.

The more I teach the more I learn. I learn about teaching since everyone seems to learn differently but also I get to relearn the subject matter as well. And about people.

Cup is full today.