Dave Eggers writes about the teacher that inspired him to write—a relatable meditation on wanting to impress his favorite high school mentor who initially piqued his interest in the literary arts, and how this memory extends to the importance of quality teachers today.
“I don’t remember Mr. Criche gearing his lesson plans toward any state-regulated curricula, but we did pretty well on any and every scale. Why? Because he made us curious. He was curious, so we were curious. He was hungry for learning, so we were hungry, too. He made us want to impress him with the contents of our brains. He taught us how to think and why.”
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My junior year here’s what I can remember of Mr. Criche’s reading list (and I’m nearly 10 years older than Eggars, so I know I’m forgetting some of it): Gulliver’s Travels, Don Quixote, Portrait of the Artist, Great Expectations — also, we watched Dr. Strangelove and the original Blow Up — great teacher — taught me to write an airtight essay — never pandered to any of us, pushed us all. Told me not that I could be a writer but that if I actually tried, I could be good at English … one (useless) PhD later …
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