“Who was your favorite teacher?”
It’s a common icebreaker question. (Along with what is your favorite cereal or which animal you relate to most.)
My favorite teachers?
I’ve had so many. Hundreds.
Rabbi Chanina once said, “I have learned much wisdom from my teachers, more from my colleagues, and the most from my students.” I’ve thought about that often when I think about my students.
Like the student who thought and thought before sharing quiet gems. From that student, I learned the importance of patience with the process.
Or the student who, during a lesson on writing thank-you letters to a hero, asked if he could write to someone who was killed in battle. From that student, I learned the true power of gratitude.
Or the student who was inspired by a tefillah program and chose, on her own, to say all of Sefer Tehillim in her spare time. From her, I learned the value of initiative.
I have deep gratitude for my professional teachers. But the lessons that shaped me most are the ones I learned from my students, especially those who challenged me the most.
Not exactly icebreaker-length. But it’s the honest answer.