It’s a near-overwhelming feeling to go from being responsible for helping others learn, to become a student once again.

Perhaps not a small part of it is unknowing what to expect, or simply not being in control of my own fate but as I begin this adventure I was reassured to hear others in our group have similar feelings and apprehensions.

I am now ready to relearn how to learn and it is both exhilarating and terrifying.

I knew this day was coming, but that hasn’t made the transition easier. After much thought (and many not-so-gentle prodding from younger colleagues!), I decided it was time to face the challenge of relearning how to learn.

It might sound simple but trust me – it was a huge step and I hope I’ll remember this when it comes to future learners who come to me for help because there’s something oddly intimidating about looking at an unfamiliar subject matter and knowing you have no idea where or how to start learning about it.

One interesting thing I’ve already taken away from my time with Royal Roads is that I have the same apprehensions as many of the adult learners I’ve worked with over the years and that I need to do better in my day-to-day role to help acclimatize them to a new environment just like the program has worked to help me.

Why I felt it was time to relearn.

I’ve heard many colleagues discuss the notion of growing more and more out of touch with modern technology, current trends, and new educational methods but for me, it was the opposite. I felt education itself had become stuck in a rut; doing things the same way as always because that was what was comfortable and familiar.

An older instructor told me a story that resonated with me, when he was in elementary school his teachers insisted he needed to master how to write with a fountain pen. This was in the 1960’s, ballpoint pens had existed for decades and he had a half dozen with him but his instructor was insistent that knowing how to use a fountain pen was an important skill that must be learned.

In 2023 we have many fountain pens.

Last year I caught myself teaching my 12-year-old how to pump gas. Our next car will be electric and likely all the cars she learns to drive (if she learns to drive at all) will be electric. The year before? I taught her how to use a pay phone … to say that was a pointless endeavor would be an understatement as she carries a phone with her at all times.

With luck, as I progress through the program and relearn the tools that I need to help learners grow in the future, there will be less opportunities for me to talk about fountain pens and more time for me to help them learn the tools they need for the future.