I’m not sure that teachers fully realize how powerful their words can be. As a child, we spend nearly as much of our lives with our teachers as we do with our family. We look to them for wisdom- after all, they know what we do not. We rely on them for advice- teachers are our barometer for right and wrong. We depend on our teachers for encouragement and guidance- they have the closeness with the distance (if that makes sense) to see our potential maybe even clearer than our parents do. While our family might steer us toward the thing that they’ve always dreamed of for us, our teachers have a better opportunity to discover what really drives us.

I recall one particular event in 3rd grade. The playground was its usual chaotic feast of pushing, climbing, throwing, yelling, with a few small pockets of secret conversations. My particular issues were of the pushing and yelling variety that day. My teacher pulled me aside with a hand on top of my head and capably escorted me away from the group. Without a word (and that was good, I was dreading any words) she continued to steer me into the classroom and right to my chair. For years I was puzzled by her comment. By the time I was old enough to get it, it made me laugh out loud. As she laid a stack of spelling tests and her teacher’s cheat-sheet on the desk in front of me she said, “Do you remember our science class this morning? Right now gravity and motion are your friends”.

We all have experienced that teachable juncture, the one where we’re hovering between options or we’ve done something questionable, and what we do or say next will prove to be the defining moment. I often have flashbacks to one or another of my teacher’s reactions, whether they addressed a matter with support or judgement, whether they were helpful or discouraging.

The negative reactions are as clear in my memory as the inspirational ones but in either case there was always something to learn.

Check out Michigan Radio’s Teachable Moments project, where readers have contributed their memories of things their teachers said to them.

You can find Teachers benefits. and details of our Heroes Home Advantage discount program offered by AZVHV and Bill Salvatore, here.