Amherst Teachers

I know I have expressed, here and elsewhere, how very fortunate I was to go to Amherst. Most, not all, but most were just outstanding. After teaching for almost 40 years, I still marvel at what they did and how they did it. I am, often, in awe--still--of many of them. Their book, Teaching: What We Do, should be required reading for every teacher and every "wannabe" teacher. Just coincidentally, on one of my class's listserves, one of the teaching essays in this book was mentioned. Yep....

In the latest issue of the Amherst Alumni Magazine, this great teaching was again highlighted. The letter was titled, "A Teacher Most of All." In it, the alumnus spoke of an encounter with on of our professors. The alum, sheepishly or "with embarrassment...confided" to our prof that he "had not made much professionally" of his AC education. Our professor, in turn, "would have none of it, insisting to the contrary that a conscientious life of raising a family and assisting in the local community could be just as fitting and honorable a return on an academic investment." Wow!!!!

Yep, how lucky I was....and am.