Teacher or student
In improvement theory currently, one of the structural pillars is the “all teach all learn” concept. The idea is that improvement is always a team preoccupation and achievement and that nobody knows everything about how a given set of usually complex parameters is best handled. And especially how that set of parameters looks from a different perspective, a different role, a different background. Thus by definition a team activity needs team troubleshooting and enough humility to listen and learn from everyone in order to come up with the best framework of what the situation is, what needs to be improved and how to go about it. This is much harder to practice than to read about, as it is easy to settle in a dynamic where some dominate and others allow themselves to be dominated, at the expense of the quality of the process and of the proposed solutions.
The process of improvement could be seen as distinct from traditional teaching, where the roles are well defined: some teach and some learn. But in the process of teaching one ends up learning many things. And in general we do some of our best learning of a subject when we have to teach it to others. Thus teaching and learning are inextricably related, a tide of connection and knowledge that moves in both directions. In our subtle system the teacher principle lives in the space delimited by the revolving motion of the second centre - that gives us the power to learn - around the third centre, that gives us the sustenance and the power to express the basic human virtues. In facing the outside world and keeping to those virtues we learn to keep the balance and we gain in our detachment and poise. Together with deep knowledge of a field or subject, hose are the hallmarks of a real teacher, who will be automatically recognized as such.
In the field of spiritual development, a number of great teachers have come to help us to keep to the human virtues and to balance. Some are very well known as main figures in different religions - Moses, Zarathustra and Guru Nanak for example - and some have been very little known outside their area or country despite having lived quite recently, like Shri Sai Nath of Shirdi. When facing the divine power they all completely expressed the dedication, simplicity and humility of a perfect student. And those aspects were totally integrated with the greatness of emitting the light of knowledge, kindness and balance to all around them. That is why the teacher - or guru in Sanskrit - is said to be akin to the full moon - shinning on all sides of a human personality. When that principle is well established, teaching is done by radiating knowledge, in full freedom and without any domination. And it often involves helpful questions rather than giving answers, as Socrates has shown in his time.
Once our Kundalini rises and we start understanding our own strengths and weaknesses and we start balancing and learning the subtle knowledge about ourselves, it can be said that the teacher principle is building within. This subtle knowledge is personal, but absolute. It is a living process and just as with any living entity, it shows results by itself, without any advertising. One day, we just feel that we can keep the balance through most circumstances, effortlessly. Then we know that we have truly become our own teacher.