The best teachers I have had listened to me and addressed the needs I had. These teachers helped me discover myself- what excites me, what inspires me, how I learn- and then those teachers set me free to be me. That is an underrated gift teachers bring to life.
If I am honest, not every teacher did ALL of those things for me. Since life is more of a symphonic adventure than a solo one, it is the combination that has brought me here to where I am today. And I am still learning and have so many teachers around me all the time.
Teaching comes in a variety of packages. Sometimes a teacher is a professional. Sometimes a teacher models life and what it looks like to live meaningful lives. Sometimes the “teacher” is a professional and sometimes they are a friend, confidant, therapist, child, and/or stranger. And sometimes all these weave together in the same person.
“…life is more of a symphonic adventure than a solo one”
I would be remiss if I overlooked the inner teacher, the one who recognizes what rings true and what rings a bit more tinny. Each of us has an inner reservoir from which to draw; a challenge we face in daily living is learning to listen to and hear from this inner teacher.
Part of learning to listen to our inner teacher is to pause long enough to hear what is being taught. It is an awakening in and to this moment before me. That pause creates space in time to listen and hear. And so it takes practice; it is a practice.
When I think about school growing up, I realize looking back that I was learning to learn from a variety of unique and beautiful folks. I learned to repeat what I had learned and to do so in my own words. As I entered my junior high and high school years, I learned how to accommodate and cross-pollinate the learning in abstractions of thought. I began to reflect on the learning process as much as the material I was learning.
I credit amazing humans who were my teachers with finding ways unique to them to tease out this abstract thinking. I credit a multi-disciplinary approach to teaching and subject matter that led to my growth. I am thankful to all the many viewpoints to which I was exposes which helped me see in bigger ways. That leads me to a deep sense of gratitude.
Because of the foundation laid in my life by teachers, I have learned that I can learn from every moment; it has freed me. I learn now from my dog, from the trees dancing in the wind, from a ripe piece of fruit, and from mistakes and failures.
Thank you, my beloved teachers past and present.
Infinitely Precious 