To those who love to teach.

Today was the Provide First Aid course. It’s 33 degrees Celsius outside, the sun blazing brilliantly, but we’re tucked away in a classroom with the air conditioning humming softly. Our teacher, Peter, is lovely. His teaching style is unique, and I find myself wanting to borrow a page—or two—from his book to raise the standard of teaching in my own life.

I don’t teach biology or history or legal studies. I suppose, though, that we’re all teachers in one way or another, with life as the subject taught and the people we meet as the classrooms we walk into along the way. Not all of us, sadly, are good teachers. But those who are—they are gifts to this world. I want to be one of those people.

Peter is 66, wise, and brimming with knowledge. You can tell by the way he seamlessly weaves trivia into his lessons. When a student mentioned feeling confident with the material, Peter asked, Are you perfect in every way?—a playful nod to Mary Poppins. When he spoke about putting on gloves and masks before treating patients, he referenced the condom campaign slogan: If it’s not on, it’s not on. These little touches were subtle and clever, the kind of details you might miss if you weren’t paying close attention or didn’t catch the reference.

Another of Peter’s strengths was the way he asked questions. He rarely singled anyone out, creating a low-pressure environment for learning. Instead of putting students on the spot, he used yes-or-no questions that were easy to engage with. For instance, when talking about seizures, he would ask something like: 

Would you strap the person down so they can’t move? (No.)

Would you turn your back and pretend they weren’t there? (No.)

Would you clear the table and chairs so they don’t hurt themselves? (Yes.)

Even when he did pose a tricky question, he softened the moment by asking, Would anyone like to help this person out? And if we got it right, he’d respond warmly with a simple, Good on you. These little techniques made the classroom feel safe and welcoming—a space where mistakes were just part of the process. I want to carry that forward, to teach others with the same care and curiosity he showed us.

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On a separate note, I’ve been meeting new and old friends since the breakup, slowly sharpening my social skills again. I’ve started paying more attention to how I connect with others, and I’ve discovered a few questions that really help me get to know people on a deeper level:

What are your thoughts on this?

How do you feel about this?

Does any of this resonate with you?

What do you think is the best-case scenario for this?

How do you think this will evolve in the next five years?

What are you thinking about at this moment?

What are you wondering about?

These questions are quite introspective, and I find it so refreshing to stop and truly listen in a world where people so often talk about themselves. Hearing what’s on someone’s mind gives me a deeper understanding of who they are and why they think the way they do. And, in turn, I find myself thinking more deeply, too. Over time, this practice strengthens the connections we share and enriches my understanding of the world.