Did you ever have a student who knew more than you did?

Oh, shit yeah.

I've taught classes to nontraditional (read “older”) learners in writing, literature, and English as a second language, and many of them had more life experience than me.

The thing is, most instructors don't ever truly “learn” a discipline themselves until they're required to convey it to others.

My teachers developed in me the capacity to retain knowledge.

And my students taught me its practical application.

If learning isn't mutually beneficial — well….

It's not really occurring now, is it?