The Best Teachers

When I was four, my dad taught me how to hit and catch a baseball.

When I was nine, my dad taught me how to multiply.

When I was sixteen, my dad forced me to spin out my car in a parking lot until I learned to control it on the wintry roads.

From the beginning of my memory, my dad has been teaching me. Some things, like math, have been taught in a direct way. Other lessons, such as how to be a great parent, a diplomat, a devoted spouse and a humanitarian, he’s taught from the back of the classroom. I’m very fortunate in that both of my parents have done this for me my whole life. They have been my best teachers. They are the first people who made me want to teach. They are the people who have been on the sidelines cheering from the first day of school, and are still sitting right there.

Great teachers come in all forms: some with degrees and certifications to teach; others without, like my dad.

Some great teachers stand in front of a classroom between the hours of nine and three; other great teachers can’t confine their lessons to a room and a time, but instead share their knowledge constantly and everywhere.

Some great teachers relay information through lecturers, other great teachers relay their lessons through example.

So, in the spirit of Father’s Day, I’d like to say that I hope to be like one of the best teachers I’ve ever had: my dad. I hope that you’ve had at least one great teacher in your life, be it in the classroom or outside of it. If you have, remember to say thanks and acknowledge a life lived for the betterment of you.