In the position I am in, I get the opportunity to work with all age levels. I get to see the growth each child makes no matter if they are in kindergarten or a senior in high school. The students develop the skills they need to move on to the next chapter of their lives. That next chapter can be the next grade level, a career, or post-secondary education. Regardless of what their next steps are, we hope the students continue to be lifelong learners.
What is lifelong learning? I use to have the thought process that lifelong learning is only about gaining the skills needed to be successful in whatever the student does in the future. However, it goes deeper than that. When I work with students, I want to base what I do on inquiry. Inquiry is based on discovering real questions about academic subjects and then building deep understandings within the content. It has to do with reflection on the learning and the process of learning. The students go beyond what we may find within our textbooks. Lifelong learning goes beyond the skills. It also has to do with promoting a love of learning.