a Recommendation For professionals: Teach a High School Class
Teach a high school class.
This is something I recommend for everyone.
I try to donate a couple days of my time every year to the high school I graduated from as well as accept as many other opportunities to teach kids as I am able to fit into my schedule. Many people ask what I teach (and I will tell you below) but frankly it doesn’t really matter that much. High school teachers are typically so overworked and time challenged, if you can absorb even some of their daily commitment, you are helping. In addition, the kids love access to some non-teacher, real world access to break up their school life.
But. Specific topics I have presented and discussed in school:
- Ethics in communication
- Ethics in business.
- Entrepreneurship (or starting your own business)
- Effective presenting – presentations
- Evaluating ideas
- What history can teach us about today
- It’s ok if you don’t know what you want to be when you grow up
- Collecting moments (or learning from people and experiences)
- Listening and responding
- What it takes to succeed
But I have also helped with history, social studies, business and English (although my grammar is spotty at best).
There are two reasons I do this as often as I can (you find your own reasons). One is selfish. One is less selfish.
1. Selfishly the experience hones my presentation and listening/responding skills. High school kids have incredibly short attention spans. There is no continuity or linearness to the line of questions you receive. Questions range from incredibly insightful to seemingly pedantic (but often there is a not so obvious insightful thought buried in the question to be mined and explored). They make me better. And selfishly I use them to become better.
2. Non selfishly … well … kids don’t know what they don’t know and, fortunately, most know that. And they are sponges for information at this age. Even the most cynical in the back row has something he/she wants to know. Teachers do the best they can (and they do a great job) but even they are sponges for additional information and perspective. I love teaching (but I am fairly confident I couldn’t do what our teachers do). So. If I can be a relief pitcher for a couple of innings so the starter can keep their arm fresh then I am willing to play that role. And hopefully some kid comes out of the room that day with a slightly more hopeful look at the world around them.
Lastly.
I teach as many high school classes as I can because I think kids today should be as prepared for the real world as possible. I talk with them about what it takes to be successful in a career (and life). One thing I discuss is “character.” I describe it as a fork in the road. A moment, or moments, where you have a choice which helps define who you will be moving forward in life. I don’t mean to suggest I know “the right path” all I mean I that we all have choices to do “the right thing” or “the wrong thing” and those types of decisions go a long way to defining “once and for all who you are.” The other thing I happen to mention which I oddly enough learned in the advertising world…each moment matters. If you find an excuse to not do what is best one moment the next moment is even easier to not do the right thing – and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Go do it.
I guarantee you will be more tired at the end of the day than you have in a very very long time. But you will also feel better than you have in a very very long time.
