Reverse Taught

My interaction with children has been highly beneficial for my professional development. But more so ever without realizing they've become great teachers in life.

I remember my first day at school.Everyone does,right?

I was dreadful.

For as far as I can remember,I always imagined myself in teaching.Being that person who children can rely upon outside their families.Ensuring that they have a safe place to go to.

Now when I'm entering the old red brick building,as an educator.Instead of enjoying the moment,being proud for how I have come-I am busy thinking about what if the children don't like me ? What if the program plan that I make,the administration finds it too vague? Oh,am I dressed according to a teacher?

After working for more than two years.Here are some of the things I learned from the children.They have been my best supporters.

1. There are infinitely beautiful things all around you. What you can only learn from children is this—there is so much beauty all around you—the little things, the big things, the things so often overlooked.

2. Being around children is like pulling a mask from your face. Suddenly you're seeing the world, almost as if for the first time. Everything is so vibrant and playful. Anything can turn into a toy, a game, a challenge, a treasure. Everything is unquestioningly beautiful.

3. There's nothing wrong with a bit of mess. As we get older, it becomes more and more critical to be pristine, have everything in order, and create significance for some reason. Dirty hands are a sign of poor hygiene. A broken vase is something that might land one in trouble. A mess is not to be toasted but sneakily cleaned. Children teach us that dysfunction means learning, chaos means growth, dirt means to play, and mess implies engagement. And when we spend time around kids, we start to see that maybe we don't have to be so uptight. You realize you've been prioritizing and obsessing over the wrong things. Perhaps a mess isn't the worst thing in the world after all.

4. All you have is right now. Kids take advantage of every single day, every single minute. They squeeze everything dry, trying to do and be and recreate as much as possible—and this is a lesson we learn from them—that every moment counts. Because we're not promised forever, all we truly have is right now.

5. You can find entertainment in anything. Anything can be turned into a game, a toy, an attention-holder. Sometimes it's not about the lights, the music, the latest and greatest—whatever you have is enough. Stop searching for more.

6. Don't cling too tightly to worldly goods. Children will teach you that value rests not with items but in emotions and moments. Children—sometimes with sweetness, sometimes with brutal honesty—will show you that materialistic goods have no value; it is purely your actions. How you show care, how you forgive, how you let go, how you treat others.

7. Love knows no restrictions. For a child, there is no distinction of race or sex. There are no boundaries in friendships or relationships.

8. It's okay to rely on others. We've told ourselves that asking for help somewhere along the line means we're weak. So we try to do everything alone, shoulder all our pain, take it upon ourselves to fix and make everything perfect, and not tell a single soul when we're struggling. But that's wrong. And children will teach us is that it's okay, it's healthy to ask for help, lean on others, and seek support when we're in over our heads.

9. Forgetting is the healthy part of forgiving.

10. There is always enthusiasm in looking forward. Whether it's looking forward to recess, soccer practice, the weekend, the upcoming holiday, or the summer vacation. And maybe we can learn this from them—how to squeeze every drop out of life, celebrate what's to come, and find a reason to be happy every single day.