Welcome to Wednesday Word, a weekly linkup for everyone, not just health and fitness bloggers. Each Wednesday you will have a single word prompt to write about. Let your imagination run free and share with your readers your interpretation of that word, or simply use it as inspiration for your post. Today’s word is teach….. I’d love to have you link up, and if you do, please remember to follow my six simple rules.
Teach – to cause or help someone to learn about a subject
or how to do something by giving lessons, showing how it is done, etc.
~ Merriam-Webster
My mom was a teacher.
Both of my grandmothers were teachers.
Not knowing what else to do, I became a teacher…
I quickly learned that I didn’t love teaching and eventually moved into the fitness field. At my first gym, I dabbled in sales, marketing, and management, but it wasn’t until I became a personal trainer that I felt I’d really found my calling.
I enjoyed the one-on-one time with my clients, and realized that I had a knack for creating fun and motivating workouts. I embraced the team effort between my client and me, and found it exhilarating when my clients met their goals.
Becoming a personal trainer lead to my first job as a running coach to about 100 runners who had signed up to run their first marathon, and many had very little running experience. They were passionate about raising money for their chosen charity and counted on me to help get them across the finish line. We worked on form, pacing, and endurance – totally new skills to many of them.
Without really realizing it, was continuing to teach. The classrooms were different, but the lessons were the same. Instead of a classroom filled with forty unruly freshmen who didn’t want to learn about the food pyramid, I found myself working with individuals who wanted to learn how to eat healthy and lose weight. Instead of utter chaos in a gymnasium filled with four separate physical education classes where I tried to teach my students how to do push-ups, I instructed my clients on proper form in a calm and quiet personal training studio. Instead of chasing down teenagers running out of control all over a dusty activities field, I ran with clients on beautiful trails while discussing racing strategies.
Working as a personal trainer, I found the days to be calmer and the lessons to be much more appreciated by my students.
I suppose I was meant to be a teacher and follow in the footsteps of my mom and grandmothers after all!
Who do you teach?
Grab My Button!
Next Wednesday’s Word: Accomplish
That is amazing you trained about 100 runners to train for their first marathon–no easy feat! You are still using your teaching skills but in a different capacity!
Lauren recently posted…Teaching Strength Training while Marathon Training
My group of runners met in Maryland and were one of about four groups about that size that year. That charity program grew, but I moved on to coach marathoners at the gym where I worked and never had more than about 15-20 people per training cycle in those groups. Some of those runner still run with me today! In fact, one of them will be in my van in this weekend’s Ragnar!
I really enjoyed this week’s prompt. We all have lessons to teach and learn if we are open to it. Sounds like you were destined to be a teacher. Thanks for a link up
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner recently posted…The Teacher Becomes the Student
Glad you enjoyed this week’s Wednesday Word, and I’m looking forward to reading your take on it. Thanks for joining us!
I have so much respect for teachers…it takes a lot more discipline, self-control and patience than I have. Corralling my own kids was a challenge when they were little…there’s no way I’d enjoy doing that with more than three kids under my “control.” I’m glad you found your calling 😉
Kimberly Hatting recently posted…2016 Park to Park Half Marathon recap
I, too, found that I didn’t necessarily have the patience for 40 kids in one classroom, but I think it was the kids and the huge number of them in one classroom… They were wild! Other classes with fewer kids were more manageable, and enjoyable.
I actually do a lot of teaching in my job as a nurse practitioner. I mentor NP students. I teach new parents how to take care of their babies. And I educate parents and patients about their illnesses. I like teaching. I just don’t think I couldn’t have done it in the classroom!
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks
You definitely teach all day long in your job and I hope your patients appreciate it!
I think it would be quite different when you have the opportunity to teach a group that is interested in the subject matter and wants to participate and learn. I would never have the patience to teach in a classroom setting to children of any age. You are a wonderful teacher, just like your Mom and Grandmothers.
Thanks, Holly! It was hard to understand why many of the high school kids couldn’t be bothered to bring their gym clothes and just sat in the bleachers during class day after day. To be fair, I also taught middle school PE and loved those kids.
I think what you’re doing harnesses the real joy and gift of teaching — working with people to make a real difference in their lives. Looking back, that’s what my favorite teachers all did.
Anne recently posted…Chia Later!
I love the way you said that, Anne. What I do certainly allows me to experience a joy in teaching that I didn’t realize before.
I love these legacy stories of careers passed down through the generations.
I try to teach my son. I don’t always know if I’m doing it right, but I work my hardest at it.
I also work in a running store, and so I get to help teach new runners (and even experienced ones) about different products and techniques to help them in their journey. It’s very fulfilling.
Jenn recently posted…wednesday word: give & take, teach & learn
I didn’t realize you work in a running store – how cool! I’m sure you’re teaching people all day long.
I try to teach Mr. Judy, without appearing to actually do so!
Judy @ Chocolaterunsjudy recently posted…What can I teach you?
HeeHee!