What is one thing you learned today?

Years ago, at 1 p.m. every day, Romana Kryzanowska would sign our apprentice hour sheets, but wouldn’t hand them back to us until we answered this question, “What is one thing you learned today?”

I remember feeling nervous when she’d ask me that.  Why would I get nervous?  Because it made me take responsibility for the hours that I spent observing, practicing, teaching, etc.

Every day, I ask my own apprentices, “What is one thing you learned today?” when I sign their sheets.  And they say, “I learned so many things”.  I ask them to tell me one specific thing.  Because when they think about one thing, then those hours become clear.  Just one thing is plenty, though they may have learned many things.  One thing that is clear now and makes sense.  What more can we ask?

And you…what is one thing you have learned today?  You…a teacher…are you a student? 

I learned many things today, of course.  Even though I didn’t teach today, I learned many things.  When I pause to think of just one thing, my dance lesson comes to mind.  I recognize something that I know and believe already, but learned even more truly:  The value of teaching technique first before we get in to nuances or rhythm.

Every day, at the end of the day, I contemplate what one thing I learned that day.  How fortunate for me that I am reminded to ask myself this because of my apprentices.  But we don’t need apprentices to remind ourselves to be students.  You have clients every hour!  You have a moment a day to pause and query, “What is one thing I learned today?”

Enjoy being a student!

***As always, if you have an comments you’d like to share, topics you’d like me to blog on, please send them my way!  Enjoy!***