WHO IS A TEACHER?

"I touch the future; I teach." Christa McAuliffe

When we think of teachers, many people come to mind. I remember my seventh and eighth grade band director who inspired me to make music education my life's career. I remember my first grade teacher who dashed my interest in art because "a person cannot be bigger than a tree," even though I was looking at a photo of a child in the foreground with a tree in the distance. I think it is called ... perspective. I remember my eighth grade English teacher who, through the tumultuous junior high years, would urge me to "keep the faith". I remember the teacher who lived next door who would always call me Joey in class......... even though I was a junior in high school. I remember my math teachers...... kind of. I remember the chemistry teacher (the one everyone feared) who asked how I arrived at the correct answer.

"I copied the formula in the book and used the numbers from the experiment" was my reply.

As the rest of the class chuckled, he explained that was exactly how we were to do the problem. I felt great! I remember the teacher who said I did not have the talent to be a successful music teacher because I strayed from standard teaching practices. 33 years later, I would beg to differ. I remember the teacher who taught me how long fifth grade could really be. I remember the teacher who showed every student how much she cared for all of us. It was the shortest year of school I had.

And as I think of all of my teachers, the ones who stand out are not because they taught a particular subject, I think of what they taught me.

We all have teachers who, thinking back, we loved and some...... not so much. But one thing they had in common. They taught us.

Orchestra was the last class of the day. The room was a large carpeted, tiered rehearsal room with acoustic foam (which looked like mold) sprayed on the back wall. Students would come into class with the frustrations and ordeals of the five previous class periods weighing on them. They looked forward to the chance to pour their heart and soul into their music. They could, even if it was only for an hour, escape the nuisances and challenges of their school life. They would enter the room, deposit their backpacks by my office door, retrieve their instruments from the storage room, find their music, arrange their chair, tune and await the opportunity to make music.

One day in orchestra class I posed the question, "Who is a teacher?"

Almost every student had the same reply. ... "You are". All except the cellist seated to my right. The one who always tries to find the "angle" to every question.

"Everyone is" he chimed in, expecting to get my best teacher look.

I turned to him, looked him square in the eye and said, "Right!" I think he was surprised and a tad disappointed his answer did not elicit his expected response, but he soon joined the others in the class by nodding his head in understanding. We proceeded to talk about teachers, good and bad. We talked about lessons learned, whether curricular or life lessons. We talked how we can learn from each other if we pay attention.

My angle-seeking cellist then asked, "Why aren't we playing? Why are we talking about teachers?"

"What do you think?" was my reply

"You don't want to listen to us today."

"Nothing could be farther from the truth" I replied. "I enjoy listening to students make music. Back to the question. What do you think the reason is for talking about teachers?"

"So we realize we all can learn from each other, and when we pay attention to one another we can achieve even more......... now can we play some music?"

I responded, "Absolutely!" and class began.

Put the word teacher in a search engine and you will get a huge number of images. We all have stereo-typed images of teachers. We think teachers are the persons in front of a group instructing us. We assume they have all the knowledge and can answer all of our questions. The dictionary defines teacher as "one who teaches". Based on that simple, but accurate definition, almost everyone in our every day life can be a teacher and that same every day life is our classroom. When you stop to think about it, as you drive down the highway, go to the store, talk on the phone, observe or talk to children, or put yourself in the view of the general public, you are a teacher. Your actions, good or bad teach others lessons about you, themselves, or life in general. They teach proper (or not) responses to a situation. They instill lessons in people's memories which are more permanent than we may realize.

Let's look at a real life lesson. You are late leaving for work and need to drop your child off at school on your way. As you speed across town you are pulled over by a policeman. Frustrated, you let out a moan, pull over, and ready all pertinent documents for the officer. The officer, in a professional but pleasant tone of voice, informs you of your speeding violation and asks for license and proof of insurance.

Your reaction to the situation, as well as the policeman's, will be lessons not only for each other, but for your child as well. Your child will watch you to see how you handle the situation, and that reaction will be your teaching moment. The same is true for the policeman. His demeanor and presentation will define his moment. Whether we think about it or not, eyes are almost constantly on us. As parents we set examples for our children. As teachers we set examples for our students.

When your child asks why were you speeding, and why you got so upset, you have the perfect opportunity to be a teacher. The most effective way to use the moment is with total honesty and sincerity. You take the time to answer their questions and make sure your child understands the lesson they observed.

We face a large number of teachers every day. But do we really listen and learn?

In today's culture we are visible to the public practically all of the time. Where ever we go, cameras are present watching our ever move. With this exposure to others, we must remember that what we teach speaks volumes about who we are. Our actions and every day deeds, good or bad, are our most prevalent teaching tools. Daily we witness numbers of people who exist in their own private cocoon. They have no regard for the people around them and little regard for themselves. They will not look you in the eye, notice if you are trying to pass in the aisle at the store, or listen if you are trying to tell them something important. We all get a little tunnel vision from time to time, but hopefully we realize there are other people around us, and how we respond to them is what makes us good teachers. Cussing at the driver who just cut us off, yelling at the television during the "news", or just a loud sigh when talking to a loved one are teaching moments. Not necessarily good ones. Ponder this. The next time you perform a random act of kindness, if you get a chance, look at the face of the recipient. Their face will radiate happiness, but also surprise. Those lessons are ones they will not soon forget and hopefully get passed on to others. And best of all, they are the easiest to teach. What if all teachers adhered to this concept?

Why do lessons have to be drilled into our mind? The ones where we are threatened with the grade on a test? Lessons where fear of failure and humiliation drove us to complete the lesson. Do you remember those lessons? I do. I remember the terror, the stress, and the fear of the teacher's expectations, but I do not remember the content of the lesson. Those are the feelings that led up to the apprehension in my Chemistry answer cited earlier. On the other hand, in a lesson where the teacher made us laugh or feel successful I can remember everything. A lesson where we were "hands on", a lesson where we relaxed and discovered the answer ... those are the lessons where I learned the joy of the journey and the content.

There is a Chinese proverb that says, "Tell me, I'll forget. Show me, I may remember. Involve me, I'll understand." Good teachers involve students' minds and our bodies in learning. They involve their imagination, their senses, and their emotions. They inspire, instill, and ingrain knowledge. They involve their students in such a way they remember the lesson and the teacher.

Everyone is a teacher and whether we recognize the lessons presented daily is up to us, as students, to grasp. Good teachers learn from their students. This premise is a difficult one at times to remember. When students frustrate, challenge, or just make us angry, they are trying to teach us. My reaction or response is what they will take from the situation. If I react, I am thinking only of myself. If I respond, then I am thinking of the other person and the moment. I ask myself "What is this trying to teach me?"

Daily, in the observation of students, I learn a great deal of information. Some of it is about the student's family life. (kindergarten students are very honest.) Some of it is about myself ... graying hair, color of my tie, or style of shoes. (Did I tell you kindergarteners are brutally honest?) They also ask questions that force me to find answers. If a student asks a question I cannot answer, I always tell them, "you just gave me some homework for tonight. I will look that up and let you know tomorrow." Then I make sure to follow-up the next day by providing the answer and saying, "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn something new."

I have learned more from the questions of my students than I ever learned when I was a student. Occasionally though, instead of volunteering my time to research a question, I will tell the student, "I think that is an excellent question for you to pursue. Please let me know what you find out, so I can learn from you."

If we are listening and constantly open, we can learn from any situation. When we observe and use those findings to help us in our daily life, we have met a teacher. When we listen to a speaker, an employer, or a minister and say to ourselves, "Wow ... I have to remember that". We have had a lesson. When a presentation inspires us to go out and do something better, we have met a teacher. When we say, "I will never do it like that!" We have learned a lesson from a teacher.

My dad was a great teacher. He taught high school auto mechanics courses. I attended the same high school, but was never in any of his classes. My dad inspired me to become a teacher, not because of the way he taught in class, but by the way he taught at home. Whenever I was out with may dad and we met one of his students, I was struck how much his students truly loved him and were eager to be in his classes. As I went through high school and talked to classmates who were in my dad's classes, I realized he taught the same way he lived at home. He truly cared for his students. He held a strict code of conduct for his class, and each student was expected to meet his standards. The things I saw at home daily, the expressions and gestures, the humor, and the sincerity, were his classroom teaching tools. My dad taught the way he lived and lived the way he taught. He did not put on an act and become a different person in the classroom. He was genuine, passionate about his subject matter, and expected every student to learn. That is why he was loved and respected by his students, peers, and family. He taught every person he met because he demonstrated consistency, kindness, passion, and above all he cared about others.

If we are all teachers, then we are all students as well. We do not know it all. We are not the purveyors of all knowledge. We need to continue to grow in our subject area as well as our compassion for our students. There are lessons to learn every day if we are alert. Life presents us with lessons and we can chose to learn the lesson, or ignore them (the dog ate my homework) and fail to grow. Whenever we are faced with a challenge we should ask "What am I supposed to learn from this?" It will change your outlook on difficult situations. Instead of living your life with anger and bitterness, you begin to have a purpose. When my dad died of a brain tumor, I had to ask myself what I was supposed to learn. I know there is a positive lesson in the grief and sadness of losing my father. I have many questions about the reason for his early death and as a student, I still have not arrived at the answers. But rather than live my life in a pity party, I know I will find the answer. I will keep doing my homework until I find the answer. I will keep my faith in God and my faith in the fact that out of something bad, we can learn a positive lesson. Not because I have to but because I want to, and until I do, I will grow in the search.

We all, as teachers, need to model this to our students. We must inspire our students to be persistent when trying to find answers to the difficult problems in our class and in their lives. "Do as I say, not as I do" is not an appropriate model for our students. They will see right through it. Students know when you are not being truthful or genuine, and will lose respect and interest in your lesson. Words are not the strongest reinforcement for our lessons, but our actions will speak volumes. How we complete our homework or handle our own mistakes sets a model.

You see, it is not necessarily what we teach, but how we teach. Do you teach through intimidation or the sense the teacher is the superior intellect in the room, or do you teach with respect and consistency? Do we have passion for what we teach or are we just "doing our job"? When people refer to a coach, CEO, boss, commanding officer, or parent as a great teacher what exactly are they saying?

So who are some famous teachers? Let's look at a few.

Jesus

A Jewish rabbi (which means teacher) who inspired people with his words and acts of love and kindness. He gained a massive following who believed in him and helped spread his word. He was a threat to some and an inspiration to many.

Vince Lombardi

An Italian football coach who inspired people with his words and acts of intensity, knowledge, and passion. He gained a loyal following who believed in him and helped spread his techniques and success. He was an inspiration to many and a threat to opposing football teams (on any given Sunday).

Barbara Walters

A Boston journalist who has touch millions of people around the world with her interview style. She has gained a loyal following of fans because of her compassion and determination to share the truth. She was a pioneer in the male dominated field of news journalism.

Steve Jobs

A California boy who inspired people with his kindness, creativity, and passion. He gained a loyal following who believed in him and helped spread his words and innovations. He was an inspiration to many and a threat to other computer manufacturers.

Abraham Lincoln

A Kentucky boy who united a divided nation. He gained a loyal following by showing compassion for his fellow man. He was loved by many and feared by those who did not share his vision.

JoAnn Falletta

A Brooklyn born guitar and mandolin player turned conductor. She has gained a loyal following of musicians throughout the world. She is loved by many for her talent and passion. She was one of the first female conductors to gain success in a male dominated field.

Bill Gates

A computer genius who inspires people with his passion and creativity. He has gained a loyal following of people who use his operating systems. He is a philanthropist and innovator loved by many.

Michael Olivieri (my dad)

An Italian mechanic who inspired people with his acts and words of passion, knowledge, kindness, and creativity. He gained a loyal following who believed in him and continued his lessons. He was an inspiration to many and a threat to some other teachers.

This is a very small list of teachers who have gained recognition for their contributions to educating the masses. It is provided only to get you to think of those who have inspired you. These people are "ones who teach". They have taught millions of people throughout the world. They have reached people of all social standards, races, and religions. They do not teach in a traditional school/classroom setting, but they have inspired many throughout their lives. This is the power of the teacher in all of us.