Have you ever been to Night School? It is a very special place. The people whom you meet there invariably treasure and respect learning. Rather than sit in front of a boob tube or go to the mall, they are rushing through dinner, or delaying it, and doing their utmost to reach the room ahead of the teacher. It isn’t easy.
I’ve shared the Night School experience at a number of different levels - trying my hand at oil painting at a local YMCA, taking an exhausting 3-hour class in advanced physics in which I had to keep kicking myself to stay up with the presentation, teaching a physics course (only 2-hours long) to people that had worked hard all day just as I had, and teaching business people how computers were going to change their lives. I felt that each of these experiences taught me a lot whichever side of the desk I occupied. The fun of learning was contagious.
A day rarely goes past where you don’t learn something new. With retirement, however, the opportunity to dive back into the formal learning environment is real. Typically, local schools are very generous to senior citizens auditing classes, charging only nominal fees. It is always exciting for a senior citizen to feel the energy of the younger people in the classroom, and your participation makes them gain new respect for their current opportunity.
If you are a bit afraid of taking this step into the classroom, don’t be. With the perspective of age, you can readily accept a very fundamental precept of teaching, i.e. that there are very few difficult ideas, only poorly explained ones. Above all, a good teacher is a good communicator, and it is not unreasonable to expect clear communication. With the grace of age, you are able to ask the question that others in the room may be afraid to venture. In that way, you can make a valuable contribution to the entire process.
But the biggest part of the education experience is to enjoy the ride. Look for a refresher course about something you once knew, or reach for an entirely new subject that sparks your curiosity. You will not regret the experience. And if you choose Night School, you will meet a diverse group of quite interesting people.
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