They introduced me early on to a world of daily melodrama and crisis. In an odd way I am actually grateful for that, because it has deepened my appreciation for what others have lived through. I never knew what to expect in my whirligig home. From Mrs. Eldredge in first grade to William Alfred at Harvard to Tom Gutheil during my residency in psychiatry, teachers came to the rescue. They didn't know it, but they might as well have all worn red firefighter's helmets.
Many people remember their great teachers for their inspiration.
I remember mine because they put out the fire. Then they took me home to the firehouse and they brought me up. You never know how much you may be helping, even with kids you do not think you are reaching at all. Especially with those kids. The most difficult kid, or the most indifferent student may in fact be drinking you up like a fountain of life.