Ep 378 - Learn to Teach, Teach to Learn

There’s a powerful, often cyclical connection between teaching and learning. Tim and Steve explore how the best teaching stems from a desire to understand more deeply, and how teaching others is one of the most effective ways to grow ourselves.

Key Takeaways:

• Teaching Is Learning: Tim shares his personal journey as a teacher and how every lesson he’s ever taught helped solidify his own understanding. The process of teaching, as Steve says, often forces us to internalize knowledge more completely.

• Learning What You Want to Teach, Teaching What You Want to Learn: The hosts unpack the idea that our desire to teach something often reveals a deeper desire to master it. And as we teach, we discover new insights that reflect our own ongoing growth.

• The Student-Teacher Relationship Is a Two-Way Street: Great teachers remain open to learning from their students. Sensitivity to the needs and emotions of others is vital, not only in classrooms but in all areas of life — relationships, work, parenting, and leadership.

• Lessons from Master Hawk: Tim reflects on wisdom passed down from his mentor, Master Hawk, who taught that teaching is as much about knowing yourself as it is about educating others.

• Peeling the Onion: Teaching — and life — is like peeling an onion. As layers are removed, self-awareness and deeper emotional truths are uncovered. Growth often comes from vulnerability and reflection.

• The 80/20 Rule of Giving and Receiving: The episode closes with a guiding principle: effective teaching (and living) involves giving 80% and receiving 20%. In the act of giving, we often receive far more than we expect.

A universal message: Whether you're a parent, coach, friend, or professional, this episode reminds us that when we teach with humility and openness, we grow in ways that continue to shape us long after the lesson ends.