Do you remember the time ....

... when you just first learn about something new,

... when you realized that what you have learned can be simplified,

... when all your experience today started because of one leap of faith in the past ...

Those are several things that crosses my mind every time I have to start teaching/ guiding/ training people, or simply just because I wanted to share what I know to people around me (if you are in my surrounding, you will feel this aura that I keep spreading my knowledge to you ...)

Today (and the last two days), I was thanked by several people that they felt I have helped them during my assignment.

Hold the phone ... personally I didn't know that happened All I did was just 'steer' them towards the direction that I wanted to happen: completing my assignment (or task, or project, or whatever you want to name it).

I have been feeling like the 'mirror' for the people surrounding me (even though at times, I felt like a transparent 'glass' instead of useful mirror). Likewise, I often found people around me as the mirror of myself.

What's with all those philosophy?

You (or me), is a very unique entity that formed our environment, that formed our neighborhood, that formed our state, and thus forming our world. We are shaping our world in one way or the other.

So, what we do every day is reflected from people around us.

I often asked myself: how can I improve myself? Answer: follow the person that you see is 'better' than you, try to follow his/ her lead and apply it to myself (and still be myself, but in the 'better' way).

Now, how do we know that we are already in the better way or not? Compare it with where we started before! If what we are now is meeting what we 'wished' before, then we should be in the better position shouldn't we?

For those that is classified as OCD, make sure there is a checklist on 'the better you based on Mr or Ms X'

Back to the topic ...

If you are reading this as an educator, try to simplify your teaching by guiding your student exactly when you are in their shoes. You weren't just be like you are today were you? You have been through the process where you are seeing in the students in front of you, day-in-day-out until the semester/ quarter is over and they pass (or failed) your class.

If you are reading this as an educator, that felt agitated with certain student that (keep) failing your class and you have no clue why they failed, talk to them! Just a quick question to them 'which part of my class that you find the most difficult to follow?'.

Now, be ready and open your mind extremely wide, as the answer are sometimes will 'irritate' you even more

Just say thank you to that student and ask him/ her 'how can we work it out?' or 'what do you suggest if you are me?'

I learned that method from the 'student-centered learning' course that I attended back in 1998 (whoa!!!! 12 years ago??? wow ...).

If you are a 'true' educator, try to keep asking yourself 'how do I improve my teaching?'.

Now, do you remember the time when you decided to be an educator?

Note: for me, being and educator is a different world and terminology of being a teacher, instructor, or even lecturer.

However, the above perspective is purely me personal view.

^{No animals were hurt during composition of this article ...}