Life Lessons from Working with Great Teachers

As David Brooks says: "Children learn from people they love." If you have all the competence and training in best methods, and have not love, you will fail. If you persist in love, you will learn to master your foibles and failings, and even transcend them and be a great educator. Perhaps, love isn't all that really matters, but it is the sine qua non of the work of an educator. Not only are relationships essential in education, but they are, also, the key to a long, happy and productive life. When we build relationships, we build community. The culture of that group of people is where happiness lies.

Rick Ackerly is a nationally recognized educator, author and speaker. With a master's in education from Harvard University, Rick has served as head of five schools since 1974 and currently consults with schools and speaks to parents groups around the country. The second edition of his first book, The Genius in Every Child: Encouraging Character, Curiosity and Creativity in Children was published in 2012. Rick publishes essays on parenting and education regularly on his blog http: //geniusinchildren.org/