It is estimated that within the next ten years, 65% of America’s teachers will retire. And where will our children be without great educators? Academy Award-winning director Davis Guggenheim explores this in “TEACH“, his third documentary film about education in America, which airs on CBS on Sept 6 and Pivot on Sept 18 at 8PM ET/PT. In it he asks the question: “What Does It Take to Be A Great Teacher Today?”

I look back on my upbringing and realize that I have been very fortunate. I didn’t grow up in a life of privilege, but with a wealth of education (and great educators) which has been even more valuable. I was blessed with not one, not two, but three teachers in my life: my grandmother, my mother and my aunt (who later went on to become a principal). As a child, of course it was no fun being surrounded by educators because everything was focused on learning (when I really wanted to be playing). But as I got older, I really learned to value the educational resources I had at home and so close to home. I’ve had many inspiring teachers and professors over the course of my education but by far the ones who made the greatest impact were those within my own family. I saw the amazing sacrifices my mother, grandmother and aunt made to positively impact their students, the dedication they each held to their roles as teachers, along with the testimonials from their former students, colleagues and bosses detailing the amazing job they did in encouraging, inspiring and going above and beyond the provided curricula.

Have you had an inspiring teacher who made a positive impact on you or someone in your family? Share your story about them in the comments section below! And don’t forget to check out the trailer for “TEACH” (below) and see how you can help play a role in keeping public education strong, vibrant and innovative. Click here to learn more about the film.

Disclosure: Thanks to Participant Media for sponsoring this post and for the opportunity to acknowledge the importance of teachers in our children’s lives.