I think that the media, by playing up the bad teachers and bad educational practices, has given the truly good teachers a bad name...as the media has done to so many things.

My history teacher in high school had us write a term paper on a subject in "modern" history. I chose to write a history of the operations of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in Europe -- granted, it was superficial indeed! -- but he encouraged me. After I got my grade on the paper at the end of the school year, he told me that he'd been part of a Jedburgh team and had dropped into occupied France. He also said that my paper was a well-researched as was possible and had even brought back some good memories.

My chemistry and physics teacher encouraged me in every possible way, feeding my desire more knowledge in those subjects. It wasn't his fault that my math skills were abysmal and I wasn't interested in mechanics, though God knows he tried. Now I wish I knew more math and had actually learned Latin instead of just taking the course.

All of them instilled a desire for learning that still isn't quenched.