Being a teacher has taught me to want to be the type of student that teachers love to have in their class. After experiencing the receiving end of a students attention and effort, I've begun to see what my high school teachers and my college professors really want(ed) for and from me.
Now I try to come to a class attentively listening for the mission the professor wants me to accomplish. Previously, I'd almost thought of myself as a leech or a sponge sucking up the professor's knowledge and experience and having to complete the course work to get a good grade. Now I feel like the task of "being a student" exists in a different dimiension than before. A teacher who so badly desires their student to understand their point, be impacted by the coursewok, and truly understand its importance is rewarded and encouraged by the apparent effort of a student to do so.
After being in their shoes, I understand how it feels. After setting a mission in front of my students that I saw was so important and would truly impact their lives, I was so encouraged by those who responded. I want to be a student that encourages her professor. Not to get a good grade, not to be liked or favored, but to truly give back to them what they're giving to me, and to catch the vision they so desire for me to see.
On a practical level, working to fulfill that mission oftentimes means going beyond the course work. In order to accomplish this, a student must understand how the course work accomplishes the mission. Giving a little extra effort and doing something that's not required but that furthers the teacher's mission for you as a student confirms that you understand the mission and have caught the vision. It communicates that the teacher has succeeded.
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