A lot of people remember one teacher or college professor who really stood out, who opened their eyes and made them see new things, who instilled a love of a subject in them.
In high school, I had Phil Garone, who taught history and world cultures with a passion and enthusiasm that I still recall fondly. He was so into medieval history that he once went into a week-long tangent on the Crusades when we were supposed to be discussing the relationship of Islam and Christianity in the modern world. From him I learned that the world is really interesting, and always has been.
In college, I was lucky enough to have multiple superb professors, but I retain a soft spot for the inimitable Robert Knapp, the bearded old Gandalf of the English department, who helped me learn how to really take a text apart, see how the different pieces work, and whether it needs to be put back together in the same configuration. The research I did for his class led to my writing a screenplay that eventually got actually filmed.
Who were your best teachers? What did they help you learn?
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