Each country has its own traditional day for celebrating teachers and teaching (see here). In India, Sep 5th is celebrated as Teacher’s Day. Happy Teachers Day! On this day, the usual activities and classes are replaced by activities of celebration, thanks and remembrance. Sometimes the senior students may teach to show appreciation for the teachers. It reminds me of many wonderful teachers I have had in my school days. Great teachers teach and encourage students’ dreams; they also help students work towards their dreams.
Life Long learning
In adult life, it is not that only the teachers can teach us. There have been managers, mentors, and sponsors who have trained, coached, and supported me. I am thankful to them. I also learned that every moment is a learning opportunity, as long as I am ready. Routinely, I learn from my kids, friends, family, team members, college alumni, and countless others. The learning includes life, technical, and non-technical skills.
A conversation with a friend last August (2021) inspired me to restart my running. I struggled to run longer than 5 miles. As they say, “when the student is ready, a teacher shows up.” Indeed, it came true! Last month, I got a referral from a friend for a running coach. The coach has been super helpful in orienting me. She had me fill in nearly 11 pages of questions about my motivation, commitment, health, schedule, etc. She created a training plan and guided me to prepare. I am learning and getting better. In Aug 2022, I actively ran or walked 23 days of the month, covering nearly 100 miles. Recently, I completed three half marathons in the Seattle area. I am signed up for the Seattle Marathon in Nov 2022. I anticipate preparing better for the same with the coaching.
Learning at Work
In working lives too, we have a lot to learn. All contacts I speak with tell me of the serious challenges their teams face in hiring skilled and trained employees. In fact, the World Economic Forum report states that more than 50% of the global workforce needs skills training. Besides just a great education, often employees need to understand the nuances of company, product, and process specific knowledge. RapL is positioned to help organizations – small and large – scale human skills training globally.
Back to learning and education, I am excited for the resources we have nowadays. Millenia back, knowledge was shared word of mouth in a highly in-person local environment. Gradually universities, written artifacts, books, etc., came into existence. Now we have rich internet connectivity that can bring information faster to everyone. This works only when the knowledge is properly organized and shaped. RapL enables this with microlearning content composed of short form documents, quizzes, surveys, short videos, etc. Using mobile apps with personalization and gamification, RapL captivates end-users across the spectrum – from high tech employees to front line workers in diverse industries.
Thank You Teachers
There is no doubt that we are now living in the golden age of learning and education. The study of knowledge, its dissemination and applications is worldwide. With proper efforts to shape knowledge, it is easier to expand access and reach to deepen the understanding. I am excited to continuously learn and help. RapL provides a better platform for helping teams and companies globally. I am thankful to all my teachers, mentors, and coaches. With their guidance, I have become a better person. Now as part of the RapL team, I get to help amplify ways we help the world engage and train better.
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