On my walk this morning, a definition of "teacher" came to mind. A teacher is a student loves the process of sharing what she's learned.
I like many things about this definition: it's simplicity, it's power, it's joy, and mostly it's assistance. It helps me understand that teaching is a spirit, not a destination. You - me - we will never "know enough." It gives anyone the ability to step into that role for a moment or a lifetime. AND, (here's my favorite, favorite part), we are constantly teachers for each other whether we realize it or not! Since each human experience is unique, there are infinite things to learn from one another. You become my teacher when you share your experience, I become your teacher when I share mine - regardless of the agreement on either one's part to be the teacher. Literally, each interaction becomes the classroom. So, on some level, simply being alive makes one a teacher. Maybe what I'm referring to is the spirit with which one shares their experiences. And maybe I'm just talking about people who freely and joyfully partake in sharing with others.
