I believe that education is all about being excited about

In the spirited words of Steve Irwin, “I believe that education is all about being excited about something. Seeing passion and enthusiasm helps push an educational message.” These words rise from the heart of a man whose life was itself a living classroom — a man who taught not from behind a desk, but beneath the open sky, amid the roar of nature and the pulse of life itself. For in these words lies a truth older than time: that education is not merely the transmission of facts, but the ignition of wonder. It is not cold instruction, but the sacred act of awakening curiosity — a flame that burns brightest when fueled by passion and enthusiasm.

Steve Irwin, known to the world as “The Crocodile Hunter,” was more than a wildlife expert; he was a teacher of souls. His origin was the wild itself — born to a family of zookeepers in Australia, raised among creatures great and small. He did not learn about nature from books alone, but by living it, breathing it, and loving it with every fiber of his being. When he spoke of crocodiles, his voice thundered with reverence and joy. When he taught about conservation, his eyes shone with the light of purpose. His words were not merely lessons — they were calls to action, charged with life. And thus, through his excitement, millions around the world learned not only to know nature, but to care for it.

This is the heart of his quote: that education without passion is like a body without breath. True teaching must stir the heart before it can reach the mind. The ancient philosophers knew this well. Socrates taught by questioning not only his students’ logic but their spirit, awakening in them a love for truth itself. Confucius said, “Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.” But even he knew that these virtues spring not from repetition, but from inspiration. When one teaches with enthusiasm, learning ceases to be an obligation and becomes an adventure — a journey of discovery shared between teacher and student.

In every era, it has been those who love their subject who have changed the world. Consider Leonardo da Vinci, whose curiosity knew no bounds — painter, engineer, anatomist, dreamer. He studied the flight of birds, the flow of water, the anatomy of man, not because he was commanded to, but because wonder possessed him. His notebooks overflowed not with dull diagrams, but with visions of possibility. He proved that the greatest education is born of fascination, and that to truly learn, one must first fall in love with the subject at hand. In this, he and Irwin are kin — one explored the wildness of nature, the other the wildness of creation, and both showed that passion is the greatest teacher of all.

For Steve Irwin, every creature was a miracle, and every day was a lesson. He saw the sacred in scales and feathers, in the ripple of a crocodile’s back or the glide of a snake through grass. His excitement was his message — infectious, sincere, and unstoppable. People who once feared reptiles learned to respect them; children who once ignored conservation learned to cherish it. Why? Because Irwin’s enthusiasm broke through apathy and reached the human heart. When he exclaimed, “Crikey!” the world smiled — and listened. He proved that education delivered with passion does not merely inform; it transforms.

Thus, his teaching holds a message not only for educators, but for all who seek to inspire others. Whether one teaches a child, leads a team, or shares an idea, the key to awakening others lies in one’s own excitement. Knowledge that is spoken without joy falls upon deaf ears; but knowledge that is shared with fire kindles flame in others. A teacher who loves their subject becomes a living spark, and those who learn from them become carriers of that same light. Passion, like laughter, is contagious — it spreads from heart to heart, awakening the will to learn, to create, to protect.

The lesson, dear listener, is this: let your education — whatever its form — be rooted in excitement. Do not teach or learn for duty alone, but for love of the truth that waits to be discovered. If you are a teacher, let your enthusiasm be your greatest tool; if you are a student, seek not only to understand, but to feel the wonder of what you learn. Let your curiosity lead you to the edge of knowledge, and there, with joy and courage, leap into the unknown.

For as Steve Irwin reminds us, it is not the dry recitation of facts that moves the world, but the heartbeat of passion that drives the spirit of learning. The greatest classrooms are filled not with silence, but with awe; not with fear, but with fascination. When education becomes an act of joy, the world itself becomes a living school — and every life, a student of its infinite beauty.