They were transitional teachers, bridges between the passivity of the '50s and the activism of the '60s. They were strong influences on my later decisions to go to college and pursue a career in writing and education. I hope they continue to teach, because I believe they would still be good teachers engaging, entertaining, and encouraging students to explore, to think, and to do. Most people I talk with have similar tales about teachers. The ones they loved, and the ones they despised.
Teachers are, after all, pivotal people in our lives.
They can spark creativity, or they can douse it. They can open our minds to fresh ideas, or they can close them. They can nudge us toward newer heights, or they can hold us back. Teaching and society are again at a crossroads. Rapid advances in technology have created vast new opportunities for teachers to network, to learn, and to teach.