Instill Your Knowledge!

Do you want your children to have an excellentto the side with the front foot pointing to the
life? Are you interested in helping other peoplenorth and the back foot pointing to the east; and
reach their full potential? You can achieve thesehit the tennis ball in a clockwise motion. What I
goals by instilling your knowledge.mean by a clockwise motion is that the player
Teach your kids as many things as you can. Haveshould raise the head of his or her tennis racket
you heard of "the birds and the bees"? It is verytoward the sky, lower the racket head toward
important that you start being a parental teacherthe ground and bring the racket head toward his
in the early years of your kids' lives. You shouldor her shoulder. To serve the ball, the player
read with your toddler and teach him or hershould raise his or her tennis racket overhead,
reading and language skills. You should also teachtoss the ball up high and come down on the ball
him or her discipline, the laws, financial skills andwhile leaning forward to put his or her weight into
critical thinking skills. Teach him or her to obey thethe serve to produce a more powerful serve.
rules and laws, respect authority, treat everyoneTeach new hires or applicants. If you are an
with respect, control his or her anger at all times,experienced employee at your job, you should
refrain from violence, solve all problems throughteach a new co-worker how to succeed with the
peace and logic and avoid a fight at all times.company. If you are a hiring manager, you should
Teach your child everything you know.be willing to hire and train a skilled, educated
Teach other people your skills. If you know howapplicant who does not have as much experience
to do something well, teach someone how to doas you might like. After all, how can someone get
it. A few years ago, I was a member of the St.the experience if you will not let him or her get it?
Louis Chapter of The Association of BlackIf you have a desire to mold young minds, you
Journalists. From January 2003 to April 2003, Ishould study to become a teacher, teacher
helped the association conduct a writing workshopassistant or substitute teacher. I was a substitute
called The Minority Journalism Workshop. Theteacher in St. Louis, Missouri for five years. My
workshop was sponsored by The St. Louismost fulfilling substitute teaching experience came
Post-Dispatch and held at The University ofover a year ago when I taught a computer
Missouri at St. Louis. A few people who work atkeyboarding class at Hoech Middle School. The
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and KDSK Channel 5students used computer typing games to work
shared their knowledge of journalism. The purposeon their assignments. I walked around the
of the workshop was to help local minority highclassroom to monitor their progress. I taught
school seniors learn to become journalists andsome of them the fingers you must use to hit
earn a journalism scholarship to The University ofcertain keys. For example, you must use the fifth
Missouri at St. Louis. As students worked on theirfinger on your left hand to type a Z, an A and a
assignments, I walked around the classroom andQ. You must use the fifth finger on your right
checked to see how they were doing. I helpedhand to type a P. I also explained to the students
them correct spelling and grammatical errors and Ithat you must use your left hand to type the
made sure that they were following theletters that are on the left side of the keyboard
instructions from the teachers.and you must use your right hand to type the
I have also taught a few people how to playletters that are on the right side of the keyboard.
tennis. Tennis players should always have theirAchieve your goal of helping others by instilling
knees bent; react to an oncoming ball by turningyour knowledge!