4 Lessons From the Best Teacher You’ve Never Heard Of

I was turning back the clock in my head the other day (takes a lot longer than it used to) and was thinking about my sixth grade world history teacher. It’s funny how you remember certain people in your life, isn’t it?

Mr. Price was a tremendous teacher. World History was the topic, but I can’t say I use much of that today. Here are five much more valuable things he taught me at an early age:

1. If you want respect, you have to give it first

   Mr. Price always addressed us by our last name. He told us on the first day of class that he would remember every single one of our names by the next day and would always address us by Mr./Miss and our surname. He believed that students should respect their teachers and that teachers should in turn show the same amount of respect for their students. Radical concept, huh? I wonder how many teachers are doing this today. Oh, on the second day of class, he stood in the middle of the room and, one by one, addressed every single one of us by name. Respect earned.

2. Teaching is easier to a captive audience

   Everyone knows how fascinating Germany is to a sixth grader…uhh, right. Want to know how a great teacher draws you in to something like that? They open their briefcase, pull out a hunkin’ piece of the Berlin wall, and put on an awesome slide show of photos they took when people were first tearing it down. Attention given.

3. Image matters

   You know the saying, “Dress for the position you want, not the position you have.” Some take it literally, but all it really means is that the way you present yourself is how people will see you. In love, in life, and in business, first impressions matter. Mr. Price showed up every day looking professional and ready to work. I couldn’t say as much back then, but it stuck with me and it’s something I live by today.

4. Be friendly and smile

   Authority figures are often perceived to be more towards the grumpy end of the spectrum. Not Mr. Price. He was friendly, patient, and could often be found with a smile on his face. His attitude was contagious, and his students enjoyed being around him. I wasn’t blessed with that sort of gregarious personality, but it taught me that attitude is everything. As Henry Ford famously quipped,

   Whether you believe you can or you can’t, you’re right.

World History or Customer Experience?

Mr. Price was “teaching” world history, but I think he should have been a customer experience teacher instead. Lead by example, right?

• Treat your customers with respect.
• Your company has a story. Captivate your customers with it.
• Make a great first impression and be professional.
• Be friendly and smile.

I’m not sure if Mr. Price kept teaching or moved on to something else. What am I sure of is that we need more teachers like him for our kids and leaders.

What about you? Is there someone from way back when that taught you some valuable lessons?