After that first day, I did not plan to remain a teacher for long -- only until I could find another job. Sitting in the teacher's lounge after classes ended, my confidence in myself was at its lowest. Nothing had gone right. Everything had gone wrong; I made so many mistakes and had taught nothing. I was a failure as a teacher. (Real estate? Used cars? What would I do?)

Fortunately, Audrey came in. Audrey was an older teacher who worked across the hall from my classroom and had twenty or more years of experience behind her glasses. I do not know how long she watched me, but finally she spoke: "Young woman, we are what we teach! I start over every day."

Research confirms the lesson Audrey gave me all those years ago. While we focus on the words we use and the formal lessons we create, children actually remember less than 30% of those experiences. On the other hand, they remember as much as 70% of what it is we do. Like it or not, teachers, parents, caregivers, we are all role models. Our daily choices and actions will echo through the generations.

But at the same time, we also teach our beliefs about knowledge, about learning, about adversity, about mistakes, about achievements. We teach the way to make it through a difficult day, or to celebrate accomplishment. We teach these opinions with our selves: our attitudes, our reactions, our approaches to problems, and our interactions with people.

We teach children what we hate. Do you hate injustice in any form? Do you hate bullying? Do you hate prejudice? Do you hate ignorance? Then the children in your life will hate these things: We teach what we are.

We teach children what we love. Do you love answering questions? Do you love going out of your way to help someone? Do you love playing with words and numbers, do you love learning? Then the children in your life will also learn to love these things: We are what we teach.