TEACH TO BE TAUGHT !

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Deuteronomy 4:9 But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.

The primary intention of passing on knowledge is to ensure perpetuity and preservation of that body of knowledge. So when Israel is told to pass on the knowledge of their experiences and memories to subsequent generations, it was to make sure that this information remained permanently tangible in the lives of its people.

However, there was another intention that preceded this perpetuation: ‘that the propagators themselves would not forget their experiences’. Teaching often proceeds from an existing body of knowledge, but its delivery is usually diversified depending on one’s audience. Therefore, elements and examples employed may differ significantly even if the same information is shared with different students.

Since, teacher may sometimes not recall everything they have taught,
this is where the imparted knowledge reciprocated from their students comes in handy. Beloved, while we impart knowledge, whether intellectual or spiritual; we ought to bear in mind that it is being done in a manner that can be offered back to us should there be a gap in our knowledge for whatever reason.

In simple terms,

‘teach so you can be taught back from that same knowledge’.

It may not be verbatim, but the content of the knowledge you deliver, should remain lucid enough such that it can be expounded back to you in some way by your hearers. That is an objective every teacher ought to work towards achieving. And actually, we all teach in some way whether as parents, shepherds or professionals.

#sly