Learners

The Visiting Teaching message this month is all about learning and teaching. And the new youth curriculum, that I am loving is all about learning and teaching, and learning by teaching. This month I have pondered a lot about teaching.

I went visiting teaching last night, and it was going to be a world wind blast, four appointments and we were going blitz right through it all and get it done. Well, two of the appointments fell through, and one I went to by myself.  I've thought a lot about learning and teaching and visiting teaching.

It took me back to the summer that I turned 18, my first experience with visiting teaching. A wise Relief Society President, wanting to include the high school graduates, assigned us visiting teaching companions. We were assigned to companions who went and taught the messages. They were to be our mentors, show us how to do it, and make sure that we did it.

And I see that mentors and mentees is how the gospel is lived and taught. Parents mentor their children, children mentor peers, we bring our friends to church, we have people show us about youth programs, youth teach each other, the honor bee and visiting teaching. It's all one big opportunity to teach and to learn together.

We don't make it to heaven on our own. It's very comforting. I have opportunities all around me to help lift, and some I can tell when I'm lifting and sometimes I can't. And others lift me up. And I'm excited to get to help those learn and have them teach me.

Here's me mentoring and teaching the next generation. We are going to be a great team!

Education

I really liked reading President Obama's speech on Education. He talked a lot about the student's responsibility! I am a strong advocate for that. Quite a lot of problems would be solved with our education system if students actually took responsibility for their own education instead of blaming others. Now I know that our system needs work, I for one would like to have smaller class sizes (< 15 students) and a bigger salary for teachers, but that's another debate.

Here's a link to his speech:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/

The sad thing: I only found out about the fact that our President is talking to students because there was a ton of "Don't let the President speak to students" crap. He's the President of the United States people. Even if you don't like him, or didn't vote for him, he won. He's now our elected leader. He can talk to them if he wants to. If you're worried about what he'll say, talk to your kids after they hear him talk to them. That way you can be a supportive parent.

Here's my attempt to be a supportive parent. Hang loose, Baby Hero!