I’ve always hated the saying, “Those who can, do; those who can’t teach.” It was first used as a line George Bernard Shaw’s play, Man and Superman and it has done all of us in the learning profession a great disservice for decades since. I prefer to say “Those who can, had the benefit of great teachers.” I know I am writing to an audience who will agree with me. This month is a great opportunity to remember the teachers in your life and celebrate their passion, their patience and their commitment to your personal journey. When I think of a teacher, I use the term much more broadly than just the folks who taught me in school. I sat down and made a list of everyone who taught me something of value and realized that there was no way I could ever remember and thank them all. But that doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t at least try. So here is my personal list of just a few of my teachers, with many, many, many, many thanks.
- My mom, who taught me how to find the best in every person and situation
- My dad, who taught me that I could do anything
- Mrs. McEntyre, who gave me my first creative writing lesson in fourth grade
- Mr. Cybulskus, who got me through high school algebra
- Mr. Lyons, who taught me how to love poetry
- Mr. Haas, who introduced me to Plato
- Father Vernon, who taught me Latin and so much more
- Father Clyde, who talked about everything except History and somehow managed to teach us about it
- My worst boss ever, who taught me how important it is to respect your employees
- My husband, who taught me how to have fun and be spontaneous
- My cats, who taught me how to relax
- My dogs, who taught me how to play
- My partners, like ATD, IMA, the eLearning Guild, who help me build my skills every day
- My dogs, who are always teaching me to live in the moment
- Every person who has ever taken any of my workshops or webinars – I have always learned more from my participants than I ever could have learned in class
Who do you need to thank?
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