At the February Academy of Educators meeting, Dr. Casey Reimer (Director of Deaf Education Studies and Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology) submitted a terrific teaching pearl. She challenged us to reflect on our most impactful teachers, exploring why they stuck out. I LOVE this teaching pearl, and I loved the answers my colleagues shared. The exercise demonstrated the breadth and similarities in the qualities we hold dear as educators and how lessons learned from these important role models shape who we become as teachers, and what we individually value most in our work.
I have had several influential role models in my life but two really stand out, and reflecting now, they have fundamentally shaped my views on education and leadership. The first was my first and second grade teacher, Mrs. Berg. I moved back to the US from Sweden at the age of five. I could speak and read in two languages (preschool is freely publicly available in Sweden, but that’s a different conversation), so while I was initially enrolled in kindergarten, I was quickly pushed up to first grade. There I struggled. There were clearly things I hadn’t learned that I needed to know. I was also socially immature; my English was fine but not great, and cultural norms were different from what I had learned in preschool. Mrs. Berg tutored me after school, on both classwork and on classroom and elementary school kid culture. She saw me, she cared about me, and she was willing to help me reach my potential. And it meant everything. This is something I seek to emulate as a teacher, mentor, and leader.
A second influential teacher in my life came in residency, Dr. Chip Chambers. I trained at UCSF at the end of the AIDS epidemic. Dr. Chambers was my attending physician multiple times during my intern year and again as a second and third-year resident. He is brilliant and has high standards. He taught me how to approach a problem methodically. Paraphrasing, he said something to me that shaped my thinking forever, “It’s ok to be wrong. We are all wrong sometimes. But if you can justify your reasoning, how you came to your conclusions, and that reasoning is sound, you will be a great clinician. It’s my job to teach you that.” In a time when there were still many unknowns about AIDs and HIV, and new breakthroughs were occurring all the time, it was an important message about lifelong learning. Even more importantly, it has served as the foundation for how I think about education and leadership. What is most important for us to do in healthcare and science is to teach people how to think about a problem. The same holds true for leaders in times of change and uncertainty.
Listening to my colleagues talk about their experiences also reminded me of the power of our stories. When so much in the world feels chaotic and uncertain, stories like these remind us of our values and how much we share in common. Understanding and reflecting on how we got here, why we chose our respective paths, and who helped us along the way builds relationships, understanding, and connection. I think stories like these will help us get through the uncertainty and challenges we are facing together. Our journeys, shaped by the wisdom of our positive role models serve as lighthouses, guiding our way through turbulent waters with resilience, purpose and hope.
To support this, I am starting a new section of this newsletter. I would like to encourage you – our students, residents, fellows, faculty, and staff – to submit brief stories, poems, or art that depict something from your school or work experiences that inspires you, gives you hope, shows courage, or provides you with meaning. This is not a competition. It is a way of grounding us all in the many reasons why we are here and why we continue, even in tough times, to be grateful to do what we do. To submit these stories, please use this link, which is also available in the newsletter. I am looking forward to learning from and continuing to be inspired by you!