Teaching is more than delivering content—it’s guiding students through a process of growth, discovery, and transformation. As college educators, we strive to create experiences that challenge students, nurture their potential, and prepare them to navigate the world independently. One of nature’s most inspiring symbols of transformation—the Monarch butterfly—offers a compelling lens through which to view our role in the classroom. From caterpillar to chrysalis to majestic flight, the Monarch’s life cycle is a powerful example of transformation, patience, and preparation. Each stage—acquiring nutrients, undergoing hidden change, and finally taking flight—mirrors the phases of student learning and development.
By viewing teaching through the lens of the Monarch butterfly, we can see how students move from building foundational knowledge to grappling with complex concepts, gaining independence, and ultimately embarking on their own lifelong learning journeys. Through the metaphor of the Monarch butterfly, we gain a practical framework for teaching—one that aligns each stage of a student’s growth with intentional practices that nurture transformation.
1. The Caterpillar Stage: Building Foundations
Every Monarch begins as a caterpillar, emerging small and fragile yet driven by an instinct to grow. During this stage, it gets nourishment in milkweed leaves (Agrawal, 2017), preparing its body for the incredible transformation ahead (Oberhauser & Solensky, 2004). In much the same way, students in the early stages of learning need time and nourishment of a different kind—intellectual curiosity, clear structure, and consistent support (Weatherton & Schussler, 2021). They arrive in our college classrooms with varying levels of prior knowledge (Schwartz et al., 2007), ready to acquire new ideas and build confidence in their abilities.
Our task as educators is to create an environment that feeds their curiosity and scaffolds their growth, ensuring that foundational skills are strong enough to support future complexity. This means designing learning experiences that balance structure with exploration—where students feel both supported and challenged (Longerbeam, 2016). When we encourage students to engage deeply with the basics—questioning, exploring, and connecting—we prepare them for their own metamorphosis into independent, critical thinkers (Nold, 2017) who are ready to take on more advanced and abstract ideas.
Teaching Tips for the Caterpillar Stage:
- Assess prior knowledge: Use quick pre-tests, polls, or concept maps to understand what students already know.
- Chunk content: Break lessons into manageable segments to avoid overwhelming students.
- Scaffold learning (Maybin et al., 1992): Provide guided exercises and step-by-step examples before expecting independent mastery.
- Encourage curiosity: Pose open-ended questions that invite exploration and critical thinking.
2. The Chrysalis Stage: Encouraging Transformation
The chrysalis stage is a time of remarkable but unseen transformation: the caterpillar forms its delicate green casing, called a chrysalis (Agrawal, 2017). Inside, though invisible to the outside world, this is the stage where potential takes shape, where the fragile outlines of wings begin to form. In our classrooms, students experience similar periods of hidden growth. When they struggle with challenging material or face moments of uncertainty, it can seem as though little progress is being made. Yet, this is often when the deepest learning occurs—when ideas are reorganized, misconceptions corrected, and understanding redefined.
As educators, we serve as careful stewards of this fragile stage of learning, protecting the space where growth quietly unfolds. It is our responsibility to create an environment that normalizes struggle (Christopher, 2020), values effort, and celebrates persistence (Francis, 2015). When students encounter difficulty, they are not failing—they are in the midst of transformation. By offering patience, constructive feedback, and reassurance, we help them see that progress often happens in small, unseen increments. In time, they emerge from their “chrysalis” phases with renewed confidence, greater self-awareness, and a more complete understanding of who they are as learners.
Teaching Tips for the Chrysalis Stage:
- Foster a safe learning environment: Encourage questions, allow mistakes, and normalize struggle as part of learning.
- Provide constructive feedback: Focus on growth and improvement rather than just grades.
- Use reflective activities: Journals, self-assessments, or think-pair-share exercises help students process learning internally (Colomer et al., 2020).
- Support persistence: Introduce strategies for problem-solving and self-directed learning to build resilience.
Finally, the Monarch emerges from its chrysalis, wings fragile but full of potential (Oberhauser & Solensky, 2004; Agrawal, 2017). In its first moments, it must rest, letting its wings strengthen before it can take flight. Soon, it begins a journey that will span thousands of miles (Agrawal, 2017)—an act of endurance, independence, and instinct. This flight is the culmination of every earlier stage: the nourishment of the caterpillar and the transformation within the chrysalis have made this moment possible.
In the classroom, this stage mirrors the point at which students begin to apply their learning (Harvey & Chickie-Wolfe, 2007) independently. They synthesize information, think critically, and face new challenges with growing confidence. For educators, it is both a moment of pride and a reminder of our larger goal—to prepare students to soar beyond our guidance. Effective teaching at this stage means balancing support with freedom (Singer-Freeman et al., 2020): providing direction when needed but allowing space for students to take intellectual risks and explore on their own (Duckworth, 2005). When we empower learners to trust their abilities, pursue inquiry, and navigate uncertainty, we give them the wings to carry their knowledge far beyond the classroom.
Teaching Tips for the Flight Stage:
- Encourage project-based learning: Assign real-world or inquiry-driven projects to apply knowledge.
- Promote critical thinking: Ask students to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate concepts rather than just recall facts.
- Foster autonomy: Allow students to make choices in their learning paths, assignments, or topics of interest.
- Celebrate achievements: Recognize both small and large student successes to reinforce confidence and motivation.
4. The Migration Stage: Lifelong Learning
Each year, Monarch butterflies embark on an extraordinary migration, traveling thousands of miles across continents to reach their overwintering grounds (Oberhauser & Solensky, 2004; Agrawal, 2017). Their journey is both arduous and awe-inspiring, requiring instinct, endurance, and cooperation across generations.
In much the same way, learning extends far beyond the boundaries of a course or a classroom. Our students’ growth does not end with the final exam or graduation—it continues as they encounter new ideas, challenges, and opportunities throughout their lives. As instructors, we have the privilege and responsibility to model lifelong learning (Thwe & Kalman, 2024) by remaining curious, reflective, and open to change ourselves. When we encourage students to see learning as a continuous migration—one that evolves with experience and time—we inspire them to carry the habits of curiosity, resilience, and discovery into every new horizon they pursue.
Teaching Tips for the Migration Stage:
- Model lifelong learning: Share your own learning experiences and professional growth.
- Encourage connections beyond the classroom: Introduce students to resources, communities, or research opportunities.
- Cultivate curiosity: Inspire students to ask questions and explore topics independently.
- Reflect on progress: Guide students in recognizing how far they’ve come and planning their next steps.
Final Thoughts: Nurturing Transformation
Teaching, like the life of the Monarch butterfly, is trusting the process of transformation. We may not always see the full scope of our students’ growth, but our efforts— encouraging curiosity, supporting persistence, celebrating achievements, and model lifelong learning —create the conditions for lasting metamorphosis. Each stage of the Monarch’s journey reminds us that learning is not linear but cyclical, filled with moments of preparation, reflection, and flight.
As educators, our task is to honor each phase of that journey. We guide our “caterpillars” as they build foundational understanding, we protect and nurture them through their “chrysalis” periods of quiet struggle, and we celebrate their “flights” into independence and discovery. In embracing the Monarch’s lessons of patience, transformation, and endurance, we are reminded that every learner has the potential to take flight—and every teacher plays a part in helping them find their wings.
Dr. Jack Sytsma is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Biology at Kansas State University, where he teaches introductory and upper level biology courses to undergraduate students. He earned his PhD in Biology from Kansas State University and is committed to creating inclusive, student-centered learning environments. His teaching emphasizes active and case-based learning, real-world data analysis, and authentic research experiences that build students’ confidence, curiosity, and scientific literacy.
References
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