Great Teachers

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“Those who know, do. Those who understand, teach.” – Aristotle

Last week when I was dropping off Mr. D at his pre-school, I heard one of the teachers in his class encouraging a little girl who was starting potty training. In a class with 20 kids aged three to five, and three teachers, it surprised me that they could tackle potty training as well. I thought all the kids did this in the younger classes before ascending. Hats off to teachers who teach skills, mold social behaviors, and tend emotions as well. And I’m not just talking about teachers for kids.

It’s teacher appreciation week in our schools this week. So I am pulling together some lessons I’ve learned from the amazing teachers in my life.

Call and Response

In Mr. D’s preschool classroom, whenever a teacher says, “Holy Moly,” the kids answer, “Guacamole” and it gets their attention. It makes me think of how effective it is to train some automatic responses.

Fall! Or Falling! is called in climbing when someone is falling and others need to try to anchor a fall. It’s intended to get an immediate reaction to drop down and arrest. When trained well, no one stops to look around to find out what’s happening before they act – it’s action first and assessment after.

It’s Going to Be Great is a phrase my dad used to say when we were early on in the envisioning and creation stages of a project. When I say this to myself like he used to say to me, especially when working on a project, it gives me a shot of confidence to overcome the self-doubt.

Calm the Body to Facilitate Learning

My friend, Katie, does some specialized tutoring with kids. In her teaching space, she has a wobbly chair that allows kids to bounce, stuffies for hiding, and games. Her thoughtful approach gives a nod to the conditions in which we learn as much as the content.

It reminds me of the classes I’ve taken from my meditation teacher, Deirdre. We never go straight to sitting in meditation, it’s a series of exercises to help us drop-in to a calm and receptive state.

Vicki Atkinson has written about the snacks she kept when she was a professor. Minds can’t learn when the body is screaming for something.

Nonetheless, I often forget this when I sit down to learn a new technology. I’m on the clock and then get right to it as if I can just think myself ready. But soon enough, I’ll find myself frustrated and pacing. The body wins sooner or later to get its part in learning.

Portable Lessons

My dad liked to talk about making his sermons portable. Something people could take away with them as they walked through life and unpack when needed. I can think of several examples that are take-aways from great teachers:

Keep small things small: Miss O’s second grade teacher had this catch phrase to remind kids not to let mistakes or distractions take away from the bigger point.

Is it a window or a mirror?: This question from Miss O’s third grade teacher is a writing lesson. Writing can be a window for experiences others haven’t shared. Or it can be a mirror when we write about something familiar that is an opportunity for readers’ self-reflection.

Parked in my small space: This phrase from my meditation teacher, Deirdre, has transformed my awareness of when I’m feeling small and closed. When I’m working from my small space, my reactions are often guarded, judgmental, or defensive. Awareness has given me the choice to stop, take a deep breath, and try to shift into my more expansive and curious mode.

So hats off to all the teachers in this world. Thank you for bringing your mind, body, and spirit to the job so all of us can grow and learn!

(featured photo from Pexels)

48 thoughts on “Great Teachers”

  1. Teachers make this world a special place for our kids and a special teacher makes our kids feel they are special. These are all wonderful lessons that you shared and I love the idea of portable lessons.

    Cheers to all the amazing teachers in our children’s lives. 🙏💕

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  2. Thanks, Wynne. I take the view that we’re all teachers and we’re all learners. Although some are paid to do it professionally, we all have both responsibilities… Some of my greatest teachers didn’t realise they were teaching me; those who have learnt most from me (positive and negative) certainly haven’t paid me!

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  3. Wow, Wynne, that’s a very impressive list of specific actions by teachers. I couldn’t come close to thinking of those kinds of examples. But I heartily endorse the critical importance of teachers being there for their students, offering them encouragement and support. I remember several who made a difference in my life over the many decades, and I hope that some of my students might say the same thing about me. Being a teacher is a privilege in that respect.

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    1. I love your perspective of teaching as a privilege, Jane. I’m sure you made a great deal of impact in your student’s (and their families’) lives – in ways you can’t even imagine!

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      1. Many thanks, Wynne. And here’s to all the committed teachers everywhere who are making a difference to their students’ lives., who have the ability to make that all-important connection.

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Such great lessons from wonderful educators. I especially love, Is it a Window or a Mirror. This is so applicable to all of life’s experiences and learnings. They are all indeed windows or mirrors.
    Lovely post Wynne. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  5. Thank you. Read your post on the way to school at a stoplight, and another stoplight. Then re-read it when I got here. Wearing plaid for the first day of my school’s weeklong celebration of teaching and learning. Our students have grown so much this year and we are ready to hand them off to next year’s teachers who will round a few more corners and add their experience and inspire and touch in a different way. I am so fortunate to drive to school and not work. Making the days count.

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    1. What a great comment, Clay! Driving to school and not to work. Thank you for all you do. You make a difference that I’m sure is way bigger than you can imagine! ❤ ❤ ❤

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  7. Wynne, I was heartened to read certifications for teachers are on the rise in Pennsylvania. There has been a shortage of teachers the last couple of years, and it is good to see there are people still interested in having such a vital role in our communities.

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  8. My mother was a teacher, my father a part-time prof, and I learned from them that knowing how to learn is the key to a good life. I adore the “keep small things small” advice and want to put in on business cards that I hand to certain adults when they get whining about the inconsequential. Just stop it.  

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  9. Yes! Teaching (in any form) is near and dear to me. Whether it’s formal teaching, mentoring, instructing, or just helping someone understand, teaching is such a unique and ever-evolving skill. I’ve taught both higher education and elementary. They both have their skillsets and specifics, but they both share that common goal of helping others. It took me a while to shed imposter syndrome but when I learned that I have an obligation to pass on what I know, it became more like a responsibility. A responsibility to offer opportunity to others.

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    1. “A responsibility to offer opportunity to others.” That’s so good, Brad! Love that you’ve taught higher ed and elementary – whew, that’s such a range! Thank you for this lovely and inspiring comment!

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  10. Love this Wynne: “Minds can’t learn when the body is screaming for something.” Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to all of our teachers working hard to help our children learn the survival skills they need for the rest of their lives. Thanks for sharing. 👩🏻‍🏫🍎👨🏻‍🏫

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  12. Do you know what I love about, “It’s going to be great”? You’re not saying it’s going to be perfect, and not even specifying whether the desired outcome or the lessons learned from a failed experiment will be great. There is so much open-endedness, yet still a quiet confidence that things will work out as they’re meant to. I’ve thought about this often since you first shared, so a hit tip to both your dear father and to you, Wynne. You’re a brilliant teacher withing this little community.

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    1. Oh, thank you, Erin. Love your points about “it’s going to be great.” You are so right – we made mistakes and adjustments with each project so it was very open. Thank you for your kind words, my friend!

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  13. Oh…the calming the body to facilitate learning…and/or tackling hard things. Such a perfect companion post to how I spent my morning, Wynne…helping a couple of folks who are struggling with stressful situations – looking for tools to achieve a greater sense of calm to enhance their communication (and hopefully improve some high stakes outcomes). Setting the stage – creating good conditions – is so often a forgotten step when we move too quickly…too much adrenaline. 😉

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    1. Too much adrenaline – such an amazing point. I hadn’t thought about that. Way to create the sense of calm. Yes! Thanks for being such an amazing teacher, my dear friend!! ❤

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  14. I like your dad liked making his sermons portable. It’s like when in training we ask participants to tell us their take away of the day. By doing so, not only you will remember your own, but also those of the others!

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  17. Since I’m a curious one and a lifelong learner I would of course appreciate your father’s – “It’s going to be great.” advice! I’m beyond grateful for all the teachers who provided guidance and support to me over the years! ❤️

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  18. This post reinforces the message “Never stop learning!” I often use the phrase “Keep small things small” as well because individuals have an amazing ability to catastrophize…

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