I have been involved with Kung Fu since I was nine years old. Throughout the years of training, competing and performing, I have also been exposed to team leadership and teaching.
Leadership is something I value due to its impact on my growth as a human being through my exposure to it in martial arts. I started holding striking pads for little students, young children from ages three to six; when I was twelve.
From that experience, I have developed a love for leadership and helping others. Since then, I grew to teaching and helping small groups of one or two kids, then moving on to teach bigger groups of about ten. I matured to being able to teach full-fledged classes, kids and adults, and now the black belt class.
Teaching is an art that I never realized was so difficult until I was exposed to it. Learning to communicate with others, especially those slightly challenged in the way they learn is a very difficult and at first a very frustrating thing. I have learned to think on my toes and face any situation lightly and try new things. I’ve grown to love the leadership in teaching and setting examples for younger kids. Looking back and reflecting on the past few years in my teaching career, I can now fully appreciate what it is to teach and to help. Ever since I was little, I have shown an ability to take leadership roles in groups and to assert my opinion and my input whenever doing group or teamwork.
Setting an example is what I seek to do and being a role model as well for those who look up to me is an unexpected reward of teaching. When I was holding hitting pads for the little kids, I never knew I’d be able to be confident enough to fully teach a class, yet I have learned to overcome that sense of doubt throughout the years from the encouragement of my students, my family and most of all my instructors who have helped inspire me to better myself. I believe the leadership roles and my teaching and working with others has benefited me and is a huge reason why I want to become a real-live teacher and do what I love as my profession one day.
Student Essay: Published with Permission
Lynn Radlauer Lubell, Publisher of InLikeMe.com and Founder of Admission By Design, an Educational Consultancy based in Boca Raton, Florida.
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