What Does a Butterfly Say?

(Photo by: Jeremy Bohall

"Ribbit...ribbit...ribbit!...Daddy, what does a butterfly say?"

Enoh was engaged in the processes of learning and teaching. Prompted by the animals on Emily's walker, he tried to teach her the sounds he knew while asking me about the ones he didn't know.

"I'm not sure what a butterfly says, Enoh" I told him.  Undeterred, he quickly relayed the information to his favorite pupil. "We don't know what a butterfly says, Emily," he explained sympathetically.

As a teacher, there were a few things I was reminded of as I watched him:

1. I teach best when I have recently learned something I am excited about.

2. There is probably no one who benefits more from a lesson I prepare than myself. So why not prepare the best I can? Then, there's a good chance the excitement and hard work will rub off on a student.

3. In one way or another, shouldn't we always be a part of both of these processes? Shouldn't we always be learning? Shouldn't we always take joy in passing on that knowledge?

Funny what children can teach you.