Yoga teacher Rodney Yee and one of his students
“Go to the people. Live with them. Learn from them. Start with what they know; build with what they have. But with the best of leaders, when the work is done, the task accomplished, the people will say, we have done this ourselves.” ~Lao Tzu
Teaching isn’t about the teacher; it’s about the student. There’s no trick to teaching. No silver bullet. No magic. It only requires our awareness and willingness to be there for students. What does he or she need right at this moment? What can we offer to serve that end?
The best teachers I know step back so the student can shine. It’s about the cause (their students) and not the credit (their egos.) It requires great confidence and generosity to teach. When we’re that present our preconceived notions get tossed aside in favor of our intuition, our gut.
We have to give our students room to build their own experience while giving them the support that instills confidence in their own abilities. It’s this delicate balance between space and support that makes for a masterful teacher. (Thank you to one of my teachers, Arturo Peal, for that message.) And it’s that balance that helps students to rise above and beyond their own circumstances.
This is the point of all teaching – to help others rise.
Published by Christa Avampato
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
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Christa Avampato 
Well, Christa, quite the new format you have going here. I was pleasantly surprised by it.
You got it right. Teacher- student relationship is a true test of character. In ancient India, it was called guru-shishya parampara and the student studied at the feet of the guru in an ashram located within a forest-like setting. Being close to nature was great and brought out the true potential of every student. Now, of course, it is a different ball-game. Cheers.
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Hi Archan! I haven’t heard of guru-shishya parampara. I will look it up and do some reading.
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Beautifully said! (both the Lao Tzu quote and your post 🙂 ) Good teachers provide opportunities for their students to shine.
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Thanks so much, Marita! That quote was yet another reminder of the real focus of all teaching – the students!
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