Presence is the Greatest Teacher

There are moments that don’t announce themselves as important while they’re happening. They arrive quietly, without effort, and often without words. We only recognize them later — as pauses that changed the way we see.

I was twenty-four years old, standing in my second-grade classroom, and we were raising caterpillars as part of a science unit. One morning, the first butterfly emerged from its chrysalis, and the room filled with soft gasps and sudden stillness. My students stood transfixed, their faces lifted, watching something fragile and miraculous happen right in front of us. What surprised me was the silence — no questions, no instructions, no need for me to step in. I wasn’t teaching, and they weren’t trying to learn; we were simply present, sharing the moment. In that pause, I felt myself soften, releasing my grip on how I thought teaching was supposed to look. Without fully realizing it yet, I sensed that presence itself might be the greatest teacher. Looking back, that moment became a precursor to my mindfulness and curiosity practice, shaping the way I guide learning and live my life today.

I think many of us are moving so quickly that we miss these moments of quiet wonder. But they’re still here — in small changes, shared stillness, and unexpected beauty. Sometimes, all that’s required is a pause long enough to notice.