Practice is what we need to keep our knowledge and skill fresh. Without it, they diminish. I took the Healthcare Provider CPR class a few days ago. It wasn't but 4 months ago I took my two year basic CPR refresher. The rust builds quickly but it came off fast. I'm slowly working toward my CPR instructor card and this certainly helped.
This brought to mind why I became an instructor in more than one discipline I studied. First, I love to teach. The sharing of knowledge and watching people grow is a huge reward. It seems that every time I get into something I'm told "You should be an instructor". I heard it when I took up competitive handgunning, when I learned to fly, when I went to motorcycle safety courses, even CPR.
Anyway, the second reason I became an instructor in some of those disciplines is because I wanted to stay fresh. Being an instructor normally means you work in both roles; that of student and teacher. You have to be a student to keep perspective and to increase your knowledge. Teaching helps keep your skills from deteriorating.
I believe too many people teach but don't keep learning. Learning will help keep what you have fresh but does little for increasing knowledge. Yes, I know Socates said "By your students you will be taught". But that does not prevent you from getting some instruction and keeping the process of learning engaged, because those wheels get rusty, too. Being a student also keeps your perspective on what students experience and that's valuable.
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