THE TEACHER WITHIN – 2025

It was an early spring day in Transylvania when Susan and Simona were traveling together and arrived at a tiny village on the top of the mountains. They were looking for a place to freshen up and catch their breath when they saw an elderly man ploughing the rocky land. Simona asked him, “What are you up to?” He replied, “I’m preparing the land for my vegetable garden.” Surprised, they looked around and all they could see was rocky mountains and evergreens. Yet, he was speaking about a vegetable garden working hard to prepare the soil.

Simona then asked, “Can you even grow vegetables here on such hard soil?” The man said, “I know what my land can do; all it takes is hard work. You are welcome to come back for cabbage soup in September!” The confident tone of his voice made Susan and Simona smile and picture the fresh cabbage soup on the table. At that moment, they knew this was a lesson to be learned.

The hard-working man driven by his strong vision became a symbol for the journey of The Teacher Within: when you are aware of who you are and recognize your strengths as your inner driving force, you commit to actions and accomplish your vision. This inner journey is described in four words: Awareness, Recognition, Actions, and Transformation. These words make up the acronym for a Romanian word ARAT [a ‘r a t] which means to plough the land, make the first furrow. ARAT has become our metaphor for teachers to discover their power within, teaching from the heart to best serve their students.

Imagine the Land of Awareness, a fertile but seedless soil. The sun and the water give full Recognition and prepare the soil with love. You come along, dig deep and make the first furrow. You take Action and plant the seed with care. The soil, the water, and the sun nurture its growth. Sometimes the wind blows hard, and it isn’t easy for the little plant to show its head. But you persist and leave your imprint in the soil, watering the plant, caring for it, and making sure it will grow. You move from the Land of Awareness into the Land of Transformation where the plant grows stronger thanks to your effort and commitment. This is the philosophy of The Teacher Within.