A Love Letter to Teachers

This is a love letter to teachers.

I have been fortunate to have many excellent teachers and mentors, and they still affect my life profoundly. Good teachers not only ignite a passion for the subject they are teaching, they inspire a broader love of learning and they are role models for how to teach well and how to live well.

My music teachers are among the most obvious influences — from the elementary school general music teacher, to the high school band teacher, Mike Varga, who steered me through those years with encouragement and high standards and, eventually, paved the way for my college music school acceptance. Special recognition to my many private flute teachers. The first one, John McNeur, cultivated my skills as a young flutist AND gave important advice and guidance to my parents for how to support my talents. These mentors influenced the course of my life. There were other important, memorable teachers, too. Over the years I have felt great appreciation for Señorita Shanazu, my 7th and 8th grade Spanish teacher, who made language learning exciting and fun, in addition to imparting solid skills. She was bubbly and energetic, with an unforgettably magnetic personality. All these decades later, whenever I use my Spanish skills, especially during travel, I always think of her with tremendous gratitude.

Friends have told me about their most important teachers, too. Their influences went way beyond their subject matter, and deeply imprinted them with meaningful life lessons. One friend told me about the isolation he felt as a 5th grader. His mother’s recent divorce and remarriage, and his family’s relocation to a new and different state, left him feeling unmoored. This 50-something man still vividly remembers and appreciates his teacher’s lessons about diversity, acceptance and self confidence, and he recalls making some of the best friends he’s ever had in that time thanks to her leadership and compassion.

Another friend shared her story about a college music professor who went the extra distance — as all excellent teachers do — and intuitively recognized the turmoil she was experiencing at home and helped her find the support she needed to overcome some of those obstacles. The professor had a campus-wide reputation as a tough cookie — intellectual, stern, serious and lacking warmth. Yet she recalled him as a man of deep compassion and kindness, as well as keen insight for recognizing her struggles.

So to all of my teachers, and to ALL great teachers, THANK YOU for all you do to nurture minds, minister tender souls, and improve the world, one student at a time. We keep you and your many lessons and kindnesses in our hearts forever. I would argue that good teachers teach us how to be good people, because we are all teachers in one way or another: as parents, managers, neighbors, and citizens. We lead — and teach — by example.

Please add to this love letter by sharing your stories of significant teachers and how they continue to affect your life today.