Going through paper scraps in her office, the D’Amore McKim School of Business distinguished professor was inspired to look back on her teaching career — and the surprising ways students have guided and supported her.
Paula Caligiuri has saved nearly every note she’s gotten in her life, from grade school Valentine’s Day cards to thank-you Post-Its from students she taught last semester. This spring, the longtime Northeastern business professor decided it was time to pare things down.
“It was a rainy day, and I’d been digging through bins and reading them,” she says.
Among the scraps were a few sheets of notebook paper scrawled with condolences. Caligiuri’s partner of 19 years died in 2023, and the students in one of her classes at the time had passed them around, creating a makeshift memorial.
“It sounds silly, but it was beautiful. And it really helped me,” she says.
Going through her mounds of notes — coupled with the realization that 2025 marks 30 years of her teaching college students — inspired Caligiuri to reflect on what else those students had done for her over the decades. She gathered her thoughts in a popular LinkedIn post that quickly spread and led to an outpouring of warm feedback from former students, colleagues and fellow educators.
Reprinted with permission, here are Caligiuri’s five biggest lessons from 30 years of teaching. Text has been lightly edited for style and clarity:
Every class has that one student, someone whose presence either lifts the energy or quietly drains it. Those students who have elevated my classes remind me that one person really can make a positive difference. Be that person.
Two weeks after losing my partner of 19 years, I returned to class (too soon). This wasn’t my best decision, but my students’ compassion helped me grieve with dignity. The course didn’t change, but our trust deepened, and our discussions were more authentic. Support and authenticity fueled learning.
My best classes often veer into unplanned areas. When I follow my students’ questions and curiosity, we create something better together than I ever could alone. My students taught me to let go of the script and be present.
Being a professor means your students stay the same age while you keep getting older. My students helped me see that understanding generational perspectives can open my own. Like cultural differences, they reflect the world by which we were shaped. When we’re open to others’ worlds, ours will become bigger. Mine sure has.
Students notice everything: how I respond when technology fails, how I handle sensitive issues, and how I say, “I don’t know.” In a world too complex for anyone to know everything, grace in uncertainty is a skill worth modeling. My students have helped me become better at saying “I don’t know.”
I’ve spent 30 years learning from my students while teaching them. I am grateful for the role they have had in shaping the educator (and the person) I’ve become.