This morning, I had the opportunity to sit with a product specialist whose knowledge of hydraulics and their schematics was beyond the realm of what I thought to be possible. Sure, he has nearly forty years experience with the company, and has been looking at these devices for longer than I’ve been alive, but it was how he gained the knowledge that is so important, and definitely applicable to my students.

Right off the bat, he told me that he was a student who struggled in school. His attitude was that of many students, past and present, who believe that what they’re learning doesn’t apply to them. “We’ll never need to know this,” they shout, believing that once the test is over, they’ll never see this skill again. This gentleman told me that once he began this job nearly four decades ago, he took it upon himself to learn what he should’ve learned years prior, and because of it, he is in his position today.

Let’s remind our students that learning is important, but that it doesn’t stop after school. The learning taking place in our formative years is preparing us for the learning that will take place each and every day of our lives. In order to be successful in the “real world,” we must continue to learn each and every day. Let us use this to keep our students thirsty for information, even if they think it’s “never going to be needed.” Look outward, look forward.