# 185: The Secret of Teaching Is not Teaching
Story behind the Passage
Why did it take me so long to find out the secret of teaching?
If you want to be a great teacher, you need to let go of any concept of teaching. Instead, you need to be a learner. You need to embody learning. Whenever I think of great teachers — in the non-spiritual realm — I think of Peter Drucker. There he is again. I think, I have written about his books more than three times now. He remains my personal guru. Not so much as a management teacher, but as a philosopher. And if there is one common source of learning, it is philosophy.
My Learnings
The secret of teaching is not teaching.
The secret of not teaching is listening.
The secret of listening is being present.
The secret of presence is putting your ego away.
My best teachers were not teachers.
My best teachers were learners.
My best learners were doers.
My best doers were fighters for humanity.
Changing things takes practice.
Changing practice takes experience.
Changing experience takes courage.
Changing courage takes your life.
The grieving people celebrate.
The suffering people help.
The intelligent people act.
The simple people hold wisdom.
Where have all the teachers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the teachers gone?
Long time ago…
Reflection Questions
1) Who are/were the best teachers you ever had? Why?
2) For whom are you a teacher?
3) Can there be great learners who are not good teachers in your opinion? Which examples can you think of?