So my calendar tells me that today is “National Teacher Day”, but if you’re like me, I’m guessing you don’t spend just one day a year thinking about the teachers who’ve made a difference in your life.

In my long educational journey, two teachers stand out above the rest, Mr. Funk, my sixth grade teacher, and Fraulein Koopman, my high school German teacher, and I think about both of them often.  These two people helped shape the person — and the teacher — I’ve become, in ways too numerous to mention. So often in the midst of my daily life, some nugget of wisdom or bit of life philosophy will rise to the surface of my mind, making me smile and think of them. Today especially, I’m thinking of them both, and honoring them in my heart.

And what about the people in our lives who don’t actually teach for a living… but who have been important teachers for us nonetheless? I’m thinking about them today, too.

If you haven’t already done so, why not take just a moment to remember a special teacher, and think about the unique richness they brought to your life. While reflecting on the qualities that made him or her so dear to you, think about your own career as a teacher. Are you the kind of educator your students will remember? I, for one, hope I am.