I recently re-read a book called “The 100,” by Michael Hart, who expresses his opinions about the 100 most influential people in history.
Almost everyone on the list was a political, religious, or military leader – or a scientist or an inventor. There were also a handful of artists on the list, including Shakespeare (ranked #36), Beethoven (ranked #42), and Michelangelo (ranked #49).
Like most readers of the book, I thought about how I would rank people differently than the author. I also thought about the most influential people in my life. Of course, my parents and other family members are high on my list. But also on my list are several teachers.
Unfortunately, there is not one teacher profiled in The 100. Perhaps it’s because teachers, unlike Isaac Newton or Johann Gutenberg, are not in a position to influence thousands or millions of people at a time. Nonetheless, teachers have a profound impact on all of our lives. And, think about the influence of those who taught Newton, Gutenberg, and others in The 100.
In first grade, Phyllis Dennison and Jim Gale nurtured my love of mathematics. In high school, Cheryl Betz taught me how to write and John Miles fostered my interest in history, which turned out to be my major in college. These Denver Public School teachers are definitely among the most influential people in my life, even though I have not seen them for decades.
I suspect that if everyone compiled a list of the 20 or 30 most influential people in their lives, there would be at least one teacher on the vast majority of these lists.
My grandfather’s teacher at the 24th Street Elementary School in Denver was Emily Griffith, founder of the Emily Griffith Opportunity School. After being beat up and called a dirty Jew, my grandfather decided to drop out of school in eighth grade. Emily Griffith came to his house, brought him a pail of ice cream, and convinced him to stay in school. My grandfather believed that Emily Griffith’s visit that day saved his life.
Will Taylor, my daughter’s music teacher at East High School, has similarly saved hundreds of lives by convincing students not to drop out and to stay in school. The impact of teachers like Emily Griffith and Will Taylor is immeasurable.
I wish we could pay teachers commensurately with the value they contribute to us individually and as a society. Until that day, let’s at least be grateful for our teachers and thank them for all they do to make us better people and to make the world a better place.
David Miller is president of The Denver Foundation. EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an online-only column and has not been edited.
