Journey to Ixtlan

The learning process is a two-way street between the teacher and the student. I've written at length about teachers. In the future I will write about teaching methods. Today I want to write about my personal experience as a student.

Like many people, I did the whole "student" thing through elementary school and high school. In these times there was an expectation of the student's participation. People did drop-out, but on the whole, the system was geared to keep students involved until graduation. There are even stories of non-passing students being given passing marks to keep them moving along the pipeline. Anyway, the point is that attendance was strongly encouraged, with tools and methods to keep students engaged.

I then moved onto college. This was a different environment. The students there were present by choice. They paid their money, showed up for classes, and plugged on until a degree was obtained. Self-discipline to wake up, study up and show up. In the end I got a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering. Taking six years because I was in the Cooperative Education program, I left the professional student and went out into the world at age 24.

Years later I took classes in esoteric topics. I attended a weekly metaphysical discussion group for almost four years. By natural bent, and/or influence of college, I was not a "good" student. I thought ahead of the teacher, offered too many of my own insights, and generally was too smart for my own good. I didn't listen well. I struggled, gaining a reputation among my friends as being a "pushy" student.

My life changed when I entered the massage therapy program at The Whole You. I took a years worth of classes at the frequency of two or three each month on the weekends. I forced myself to be a good student. I forced myself to LISTEN. This was easier because the subject material was not something I had a partial first-hand knowledge of. There were days that my "expertise" crept in. On those occasions I had to take out the "listen" bat to beat down the pushy student. I completed the course of study. While I completed the course material with the knowledge to be a massage therapist, I also walked way with a year's worth of practice as a good student.

My dear friend Sue passed her massage therapy national board on 2/26. I congratulate her and my fellow classmates for their achievements. I have not progressed past completing the homework and outside clinic hours, but I did take away some as valuable as any certification. I found what it was like to be a good student. I take this into my shamanic walk. There will be some power student/teacher dynamic hurdles for me there. I look forward to them. The learning process continues.