Who was your most influential teacher, and why? What made this person stand out? What teaching styles or techniques, or strategies or approach, made him or her so memorable? I welcome your responses in the comment area below.  

Don't identify by name, as people might want to remain anonymous. But as we continue through our summer examen, wondering what to tinker with for the upcoming year, it's worth recalling the teachers who changed our perspectives and perhaps even our lives. What made them so special? What can we learn from them today? What about a great teacher is enduring?

Matt Emerson's essays have appeared in a number of publications, including America, Commonweal, and the Wall Street Journal. The Catholic Press Association named his September 2012 essay "Help Their Unbelief," published in America, as the "best essay" in the category of national general interest magazine for 2012. He is the author of the book Why Faith? A Journey of Discovery (Paulist Press 2016).Articles:Fruitful Searching (Jan. 5-12, 2015)Preambles for Faith (May 13, 2013)Help Their Unbelief (Sept. 10, 2012)Posts at The Ignatian Educator