The Parent as a Model of Learning

These source passages are included here for study. You do not need to own the book or look elsewhere to follow the discussion. Read them slowly and notice a line that stands out, raises a question, or connects with your experience.

One of the world’s best-known humanitarians, Mother Teresa, was born into a devout Catholic family. Her parents were actively involved in their local church, exposing the young Mother Teresa—then known as Agnes—to a life of faith at a very early age. At just eight years old, her father tragically fell ill and died. After his death, Agnes became especially close to her mother, a woman known for her compassion and generosity. In many ways, her mother shaped her perspective on what it meant to be charitable toward others.

Residing in Skopje, now the capital of the Republic of Macedonia, Agnes and her mother, Drana Bojaxhiu, were not wealthy by any means. Yet, they frequently welcomed the city’s impoverished to share meals with their modest family. “My child, never eat a single mouthful unless you are sharing it with others,” Drana is said to have counseled her daughter. When Agnes asked who the people eating with them were, her mother would explain that “Some of them are our relations, but all of them are our people.” She was planting seeds of kindness and altruism in Agnes, the fruit of which would be visible later in her life.

A story about my parents offers a good example of positive modeling. When my Ph.D. adviser asked me if there were educators in my family who inspired me to take graduate studies, I said that there were none. She was quite surprised when I shared with her that my father had only finished grade one, and my mother had finished second-year high school. But the one impactful thing that both of them modeled to me was the love of learning. My father would share stories of how and what he learned from different people, especially from elders like his parents, and how much he appreciated them. My mother would spend the time learning different skills that would then be converted into various businesses. They would support my inclination to spend the whole day at the bookstore reading. Every summer, my parents would enroll my siblings and me in various summer skills activities such as painting and playing the piano, among others.

Good modeling can be illustrated by a real-life event that occurred on the Hudson River in 2009. Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III, a seasoned pilot with decades of experience, was tasked with a seemingly impossible mission—safely landing a commercial plane with 155 passengers on board after both engines were disabled by a bird strike. As the leader in a critical situation, Captain Sullenberger recognized that his team, including the co-pilot and flight attendants, was in crisis. With the plane rapidly losing altitude, time was of the essence.

Captain Sullenberger took decisive action and skillfully landed the plane on the Hudson River, executing a textbook-perfect water landing. He remained calm, composed, and focused throughout the entire ordeal, reassuring and guiding his team and passengers. His actions demonstrated the highest level of professionalism and competence under extreme pressure.