We have become accustomed in recent years to seeing films in which teachers are shown as lazy, greedy slugs. This fits nicely with the corporate reform narrative that seeks to strip all honor, dignity, and rights from teachers. Teachers don’t deserve those mean-spirited caricatures, nor the treatment they receive from legislatures.
Remembering Robin Williams’ portrayal of English teacher John Keating in “The Dead Poets’ Society” takes us back to another era, a time when the teacher might be seen as a source of wisdom and inspiration, a rebel and a non-conformist. Here is the trailer. Robin Williams represented the teacher as the best that one could hope to be: not just a man who taught language and literature but a man who changed lives.
My favorite scene in the movie occurs when Mr. Keating invites the class to read the introduction to the poetry anthology. The introduction describes a mathematical formula for judging the worth of a poem. Mr. Keating tells his students to “tear out the entire introduction! Rip! Tear! Rip!”
Now as I read about the econometricians who have developed algorithms to determine who are the best and the worst teachers, I will think of Mr. Keating–Robin Williams– telling his students “Rip!” Live life to the fullest! Dare to be yourself! He was–or he acted–the teacher of our dreams, the one who inspired us to be our own best selves, to defy authority when it is wrong, and to live lives of possibility, not lives weighted down by the routine. Now as I see the purveyors of Big Data descending upon students, teachers, principals, and superintendents alike, ready to label them, rank them, crunch their numbers and their souls, I will think of Robin Williams as the irreverent Mr. Keating. I know what he would have done with those forms and spreadsheets. “Rip!”
These images remain 25 years after seeing “The Dead Poets’ Society” because Robin Williams was that teacher. Not just in one film but in dozens of films.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
And your commentary is no less an inspiration.
Reblogged this on Kmareka.com and commented:
Rest in peace, Robin Williams. Prayers for his family.
Williams was one of the few comedians that truly shared humor and didn’t have to rely on the f word in every joke. Winters was another. The struggle with debilitating, severe depression is chronic, physiological and I know it well.
When I first started to train teachers in the mid 90’s I used Dead Poets Society as one of a dozen movies that represented social perceptions of teaching. For me, a romantic idealist, son of three generations of teachers and principals – all revolutionaries in their own way, Robin Williams portrayal was my ideal of a teacher – the kind of teacher I always aspired to be, and that I hoped my student teachers would become. I was proud that most of my student teachers back then also identified themselves with this character. And then sometime in the late 2000 early 2010’s the student entering the profession seemed to change (or was it that the profession was under enormous pressures and the sea of change was changing everybodies attitudes (and values?)); Dead Poets Society, I could see in my students reflections and essays, was a problem guy who got fired and who probably never got another teaching job. He was not a hero and much less a model to follow but rather an idiot who couldn’t follow the rules and expectations – a teacher that went beyond the bounds of his authority, a maverick that deserved to be fired because schools are about following rules and teaching what you are told….No more of the incoming youthful idealism so critically necessary for young teachers to reenforce the front lines from those who have been fighting the good battle for long…Of all the things that worry me about the education today this is what worries me most.
One of the best TV episodes IMHO is “The Changing of the Guard” by Rod Serling staged at Antioch College, his alma mater. Ohio has certainly deteriorated in supporting education.
So well said. Robin Williams was a beacon of light. Very generous, tremendously talented and an icon.
He will be missed.
Oh captain, my captain. Carpe diem!
I am going to be contrarian. I liked Dead Poets Society when I was a student, but now that I am a teacher, not so much.
Mr. Keating is the stereotypical portrayal of humanities in general and literature and poetry more specifically. In television and film, literature and poetry and arts are entirely emotional endeavors. There is no skill or craft in creation beyond getting in touch with one’s feelings and nothing to reading or analysis beyond identifying one’s own emotional reaction. Intellect and rationality are of no use and is nowhere to be found, except as hindrances to real art and true understanding. Bah.
And then there’s the often quoted and and misunderstood line from Frost. The rest of the poem gives lie to “And that has made all the difference.”
A teacher cannot inspire students unless positive emotions are involved. Self discovery is joyful learning, and the basis of all knowledge and wisdom… Something the creators of CCSS have yet to learn!
I agree. While I admired Keating’s passion in engaging students, his actual teaching was less than admirable. When I first saw the film, I was not yet a teacher but even I knew that he had misread the Frost poem. Engagement without careful attention to analysis is simply poor teaching.
Reblogged this on Crazy Normal – the Classroom Exposé.
Of all the Hollywood super-teacher deification characters, Robin Williams as John Keating is my favorite and the one I consider most inspirational. The way he reached the one student who didn’t believe he had anything worth saying was an example of the art of teaching that no VAM could ever detect. The Keating character is an example we can aspire to reach without driving ourselves to a heart attack or securing multi-millionaire sponsors. For this one performance, Williams was a gift to all teachers that I will always treasure.
Very much appreciate your tribute.
Well said Diane. I reposted this at Oped news, and added an image of Williams that came in my email recently, with this saying ” I USED TO THINK THAT THE WORST THING IN LIFE WAS TO END UP ALONE, IT’S NOT. THE WORST THING IN LIFE IS TO END UP WITH PEOPLE WHO MAKE YOU FEEL ALL ALONE.”
If this was a quote from Williams, then it may be a foreshadowing of his death.
go see the image…it is in my comment at the end
http://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/Mourning-a-Great-Teacher–in-Best_Web_OpEds-Dignity_Narrative_Robin-Williams_Teacher-140812-451.html
Christopher and Dana Reeves lived up here in the neighboring Berkshire town by me. Athough SAG has insurance programs, they may not have been enough. Throwing out a piece of trivia that is anything but trivial, it was Robin Williams who personally funded a great deal of Christopher Reeve’s specilaized care. Mr. Wiliams was a very giving person, and if only he was able to give the right things to himself.
This is a terrible loss from a colossally talented man. My condolences go out to his family.
What does one say . . .
A kindred spirit. My heart is sad. So Carpe Diem, to all of our readers. Thank you for those words of wisdom, Diane. To all the geniuses- who also show us the dark side. A quote from RW on Brainy Quote, “No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.” And another quote I like is, “You’re only given one little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.”
A beautiful tribute to Robin, Diane.
Through his teacher roles in films, and his life actions, he was a teacher to us all in so many ways. I thank him for touching my soul.
Robin Williams’ personal suffering and struggle with codependency/depression can only serve as a reminder of our need to validate children and provide them with a nurturing environment.
Robin’s emotional connection with his students in Dead Poets Society should present a realization of what is lacking for children now in the punitive authoritarian environment of CCSS high stakes testing that indoctrinates children to become codependent.
May Robin’s legacy inspire others to recognize the importance of providing a validating environment for children’s social and emotional needs.
Reblogged this on Amethyst Rose's Muses and commented:
Rest in Peace, Robin Williams. Your portrayal of John Keating was an inspiration to me in my own classroom.
Stunned, shocked and saddened by the loss of this amazing human. He gave so much to so many, he kept us laughing with his razor sharp wit and humor and yet he was burdened with demons that robbed him of his life. My sympathies to his family and loved ones.
These “demons” are no longer a mystery. They are known as The ACoA Trauma Syndrome, or personality disorder (primarily Narcissistic & Borderline).
that film was so long ago, it is not easy being an aging actor, we all need to have some spiritual or communal purpose to keep on, parts did not seem to be coming his way. I think of “Norma Desmond” in the film “Sunset Blvd”, when the demand and attention fades.
Shazbot!
My two cents worth. A humongous talent. I do not watch many films but did watch “Patch Adams”. In the Chicago Tribune today they panned it but I found it a great film. Guess I am just a romantic slob but that this is based on a real character and this AM on Democracy Now they replayed the Patch Adams speech when he was defending what he did to help people it brought me to tears.
It is so sad but so many of our great comedians had very difficult personal lives. Undoubtedly that gave them an humanitarian insight at a higher level than “normal”.
At any event he will be greatly missed by so VERY many people.
Robiin Williams was a member of AA, so he would want you to know this:
Robin was a member of AA for most of his adult life. Alcoholism, workaholism, and drug addictions are symptoms of codependency. Codependency is conditioned behavior in childhood, and now thought to be a result of Attachment Disorder, or Disorganized Attachment Disorder. Children who grow up in environments of insecurity from parents or caregivers who have the ACoA Trauma Syndrome of Families with Alcoholism, Workaholism, and Other Dysfunctions (Codependency that results from alcoholism, workaholism, depression, anxiety and other disorders) will develop personality disorders or behaviors that are primarily Narcissistic and Borderline Behaviors (but often include AntiSocial, Histrionic, Avoidance, and other personality disorder traits.
The ACoA Trauma Syndrome that is presented at AA and Al A Non training helps people understand the dynamics of families with these conditioned impulsive and compulsive behaviors. They are “reactors” as a result of conditioned behavior in childhood. AC’s usually have normal to high intellectual development, but delayed or repressed social/emotional development; therefore, they are described as “adult children”. Their impulsive and compulsive behaviors, that were conditioned in childhood, cause them to react to stress (threats) in adulthood with the same coping mechanisms that allowed them to survive traumatic stress in childhood. Those coping mechanisms are usually Avoidance, Denial, and Dissociation.
The ACoA Trauma Syndrome is the same as PTSD, or Anxiety Disorder in adulthood. Anxiety always includes a level of depression, or at least dysthymia. The ACoA Trauma Syndrome recognizes that PTSD usually includes Dissociative Disorder, which is commonly described as Dr Jekell-Mr Hyde behavior. Robin Williams was known to describe his Dissociative Disorder as Dr Jekell-Jack Daniels. Most AC’s have powerful Narcissistic denial which prevents then from recognizing their disorder, since toxic shame, guilt, and traumatic grief are underlying causes of extreme Narcissism.
When the ACoA Trauma Syndrome was identified in the 1980’s, little research had been done on personality disorders, so the characteristics were based just on the ‘symptoms”. Now that we have good research on personality disorders (Ref: UW’s Dr Marsha Linehan), and understand that personality disorders begin about the age of five, there is a tremendous need for more public education about childhood traumatic stress.
Children cannot make healthy emotional attachments to parents or teachers who are scary and unpredictable, or emotionally detached, or who use fear and intimidation as discipline. Children cannot make healthy attachments to parents who are depressed and anxious, since the children will be afraid of disappointing or displeasing them, and will feel guilty about “never fully measuring up” or being unable to make a parent happy. When parents or teachers focus primarily on children’s “performance”, with neglect to their social and emotional development, they are creating codependency and personality disorders.
This is what Robin Williams learned too late in his own life to help himself, but perhaps that same message can help other parents and teachers. The ACoA Trauma Syndrome has become so common that it is considered “normal” in our mainstream society. Anxiety is now our country’s greatest mental illness, with over half the population impacted, and many clinicians think it is more like 80% of the population.
Personality disorders (codependency) begin about the age of five, when a child first begins to express their individuality and form their authentic identity. When they are captive in an environment of traumatic stress, whether at home or school, their social and emotional development will be stifled, and there will be social and emotional regression that becomes permanent. They will have a weak sense of self or identity and will become codependent to authority (work, spouse, alcohol, etc), but their codependency is often disguised well as “covert” Narcissism, just as it is in “covert” Narcissistic families. They will become either givers or takers. The self punishing thought disorder that comes from “never fully measuring up” may manifest in the form of self punishing behaviors, and they will be obedient to abusive authority (Borderlines). Or they may feel entitled and see themselves as superior to others (Narcissistic). Other names for this are “learned helplessness” and “conditioned defeat”. They will have conditioned impulsive and compulsive behaviors that cannot be changed, since personality disorders are permanent. They can be understood and treated and managed, but they cannot be changed since they are part of a person’s identity.
I suggest as a tribute to Robin Williams, we need to establish a national project to educate adults about the ACoA Trauma Syndrome, and teach everyone (especially parents and teachers) the skills to validate children. We all need to recognize that our suffering in silence is not a good thing, but a shared national tragedy, since most of us now in mainstream society are Adult Children of Alcoholics, Workaholics, and Dysfunctional Families (ACoA).
Thank you for this valuable information, izzy. As someone who has been involved in these situations–both professional and personally–
you provided some new information that I had not yet heard/seen.
In addition to your comments, I would like to add that someone who is very knowledgeable shared similarities in the case of the
amazing, uniquely talented and equally beloved actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. The loss of both is enormous for us all, and your suggestion is a good one.
Diane, similar thoughts. Here’s the text of my facebook post today:
Why do I resist corporate education deform and post about it? Blame this scene in Dead Poets Society. “p21, Understanding Poetry.”
If you saw this movie you got that Mr. Keating was a “real’ teacher. How can this kind of teaching be quantified? You understood that the author of the poetry book in this scene is entirely wrong-headed. As was Mr. McAllister at the 3:00 mark, coming into the classroom yelling “What the hell is going on here!!!”
What Mr. Keating was doing was teaching. It’s anti-p21. What Ed Deform seeks to do is base everything entirely on p.21. You want to close the American mind? Reward/punish teachers based on their students p21 assessments. Promote/retain students based on their p21 assessments. Go to Newsweek and see all the schools ranked by how they did on p21 assessments. Fire all the Mr. Keatings out there. This is the vision that Arne/Bill G/Rhee/C Brown etc etc etc have for your children’s educational future.
What would Mr. Keating say to this deformer vision? “Excrement! That’s what I think..! We’re not laying pipe! We’re talking about poetry. How can you describe poetry like American Bandstand? “I like Byron, I give him a 42, but I can’t dance to it!”
I would very much like to sit and have a cup of coffee with Mr. Keating.
Real teaching and learning can’t be based on standardized test bubbles. We know this, when we SEE it. We need to rip out p21. I hope we can remember this when teachers say it.
I would also suggest that we don’t read too deeply into whether alcoholism is nature or nurture. There is a LOT of research, heck, friends of my own who have passed, who came from perfectly stable, drug and alcohol-free homes. Some people are just born with that hole in their middle, that feelingfulness, that only seems to have one deadly antidote. It’s not narcissism, and I cringe to think that people would think that. When one is in the grips of their addiction, sure, they are narcissistic. They lie and manipulate and do unspeakable things. But free and separate of the addiction, many alcoholics “feel” too much. It hurts. They have a voice saying that they’ll never get better, and that booze/drugs will take the edge off.
Good article on addiction/depression: http://thedailybanter.com/2014/08/live-depression-understand-robin-williams-took-life/
From that article: “…most addicts aren’t addicts because they feel too little, they’re addicts because they feel too much. And what they feel is often constant and agonizing, so they seek out something, anything, to make them feel better. To fill the gaping hole at their center that only knows suffering and to maybe quiet the unrelenting voice in their head — the one that sounds trustworthy and almost comforting, because it is in reality their own voice — telling them that nothing will ever be okay even when things seem perfectly okay.”
Borderlines “feel” too much. Dr Marsha Linehan has described borderlines as having the emotional skin of a person with third degree burns all over their body. Their sensitivity is what causes chronic traumatic stress. Narcissists are unable to “feel”, since they are too emotionally detached. The unfortunate dynamics of ACoA families usually result from one parent being more Borderline and the other parent being more Narcissistic…..these behaviors are quite normal when within a healthy range; however, dysfunction is on a spectrum, and environmental stress may cause them to become too dysfunctional, which seems to be zeitgeist of today.
Since it is estimated by NIH that over 28 million adults in the US are adult children of alcoholics (ACoA) it warrants educating the public about the family dynamics that lead to alcoholism and workaholism.
Izzy, thank you for sharing the ACoA Trauma Syndrome information, and I agree with everything you said. As as a workaholic myself (self punishing compulsive perfectionist, people pleaser, Borderline behaviors) two times married child of an alcoholic father and Narcissistic mother, I have learned so much in Al A Non that I wish I had learned earlier in my younger life. I think we do have a national problem since these same AC behaviors are now “normal” in society in the form of “covert” Narcissistic Families.
We all share a sense of loss with the tragic suicide of Robin Williams, but can we relate his suffering to our own lives? Can we learn something from his death?
When I grew up in Dallas and attended Highland Park HS, our family appeared “perfect” to outsiders. Successful professional parents, beautiful home, fabulous vacations, and many superficial social friends. However, at home my siblings and I walked on eggshells, and were clueless about our parents drinking problems, or their ability to fly into a rage at the least provocation. Everything in our family was about “keeping up appearances”, and “what will people think”, and “stay in your place and do as you are told”! I always thought my perfectionism and bulimia was my own little problem, and kept it hidden until college when my roommate forced me to go to a counselor. I never had a close friend that I could be honest with, since it was like I had to protect the family secret. I think “covert” Narcissistic families are epidemic now, not only in Dallas, but all over the county.
I am glad that Robin Williams had the courage to face his codependency and participated in AA, but I am sad that it was too late. I hope others will benefit from his courage and honesty, and not be afraid to recognize their relationship trauma in adulthood resulted from conditioned behaviors in childhood. I hope we can become more open in society and bring awareness to this national epidemic.
Your icon indicates that you and “izzy” share an email address.
I also think Robin Williams would have wanted to share the ACoA information that many of us learned in AA too late in our lives. Thanks to you all who are helping to inform those who are still stuck in their lives of delusion and denial.
Is that a problem for you? Do you have an intolerance with sharing?
Dienne, do you have a problem with any of my shared information?
Dienne, just take a deep breath. Everything will be ok.
Having the same icon indicates different accounts that share the same email address? Interesting.
They’re called “identicons,” apparently.
Maybe izzy a.k.a. Madison likes talking to her/himself. I do. No I don’t. Yes you do.
I had been curious if Threatened out West and Louisiana Purchase were the same poster and now I have the answer. Thanks.
In addition to playing a great teacher, Robin Williams also played an outstanding parent. “Mrs. Doubtfire” was that perfect movie–comedic yet serious in its message about truly loving and caring parents. Our principal so enjoyed the movie that he recommended that it be shown to ALL our middle school students (in case they weren’t able to see it–these were the Netflix-less days, after all–in the theatres) on a reward day. He wanted our students to see (many of whom did not ever know a father) what a loving father looked like–to what lengths he would go to be with his children. Everyone did, indeed, enjoy it (Of course, at least one or two parents called to complain–a MAN dressing like & pretending to be a WOMAN? NOT appropriate to show to children!)
We had a good laugh about that at our next faculty meeting–courtesy of Robin Williams, as well. (BTW–these were the days when teachers actually laughed at faculty meetings–no PD!)
Thank you, Diane – RIP, Robin…
Mr Keating: I always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself.
Oh My Goodness, comparing him to Norma Desmond has created a clinical nightmare. Next we will find that he was murdered to distract attention from Ukraine shooting down the Malaysian flight with fighter jets and the UN war crimes commission over Gaza.
I generally see alcoholics as seeking some spiritual relief with its absence in their lives. This is one of the 12 steps in the program. My favorite deceased comedian was George Carlin.
This tragedy should not go dismissed without some good coming from it. I also think it would be helpful to promote education about the ACoA Trauma Syndrome as related to personality disorders. Could we get Dr Marsha Linehan to share her research on a national level?
This has been interesting. I learned what these little icons represents, that’s for sure 😉
Addicts come in all shapes and sizes. There are a few things they hold in common, one being that when they use they can’t stop. The other is that they aren’t drinking/using they are uncomfortable in their own skin, which I alluded to in the earlier comments. Once they drink or use, it’s an obsession.
The nice thing about Diane’s blog is you know readers are educated, intelligent and think for themselves. Mr. Keating’s students one and all. I just hope there aren’t any people reading this, suffering either personally or through friends and family, who seeing this whole family narcissism/ACoA verdict will say “to hell with THAT” and refrain from seeking help. Further, I hope no one who is an addict believes this HAS to be true and begins to construct a false narrative about themselves which sets them up for what I’d imagine would be a tremendous amount of long-term, needless suffering.
I hope known parents who have children with addiction issues think that they too are by default sick people who screwed up their children. This kind of universal condemnation went out, as far as I know, in the 80s. Having been forced to deal with this with intimate acquaintances, I have sat in many AA meetings. Their “Big Book” includes at least one story read in a Big Book meeting I attended where the author of that story claims to have come from a perfectly loving, happy family. In that meeting at least, not a single recovering addict in that room brought up the narcissism/ACoA issues raised in these comments. All I remember is the comments about the progressive nature of the disease, and that if you stop for awhile then restart it’s like you never stopped and you pick up where you left off. Scary. My understanding is that those stories and subsequent comments by AA members after the reading are by necessity brutally honest.
Yes, there is some narcissism and some ACoA issues. It is not universal. At all. It’s one of many things. Addicts come in all shapes and sizes.
When we try to put people who are suffering into little boxes, we oversimplify. Especially when we try to make people fit in our own personal little box. I am no expert on what exactly addiction is, but am unfortunately familiar enough with it to know a few things addiction is not. Addiction is not a shame on anyone’s family, and the family might not have anything to do with it, except for maybe passing on a stray gene. It’s a disease. If you think you or someone you love has this unlucky lot in life, please get help.
Screw the stigma.
jeffpeek, in addition to ACoA information shared on this blog by people with personal experience in their families, you can find research that links family dynamics to alcoholism (codependency) and personality disorders:
Many of us with personal experience in our families have no shame about trying to educate others:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3143015/#!po=0.107296
Ken, I think you are missing my point. You posted about ACoAs. Some addicts come from perfectly “normal” families. Seriously, many of us know addicts and their families. “Adult Children of Alcoholics” is one thing, and when the parents aren’t addicts, well then we’ll say they were closet addicts. When that doesn’t work, well just say the parents were narcissists, and if that doesn’t work, well just say the parents are closet narcissists. Etc etc etc.
Sometimes bad things happen to the children of good “normal” people.
It CAN be the reason though, but I mean it’s a mental illness. It’s cunning, baffling, powerful. I unfortunately had to bury two friends this year. I’ve got my eyes on a couple others. By necessity, I have an education in this area.
I would suggest people are projecting their own circumstance onto others using this tragedy.
Again, screw the stigma. Just get help.
My 2 cents. That’s my last comment.
Excuse the typos!
This is the best teacher I ever had as well.
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” William Butler Yeats
Another well-known William’s scene is from “Good Will Hunting” – the one where he tells Matt Damon repeatedly “it’s not your fault.” Gives me chills. Love it as an analogy for teachers to remind them that everything they are blamed for by the reformers is not their fault either.
Here is a comedian of schooling.
Since it is estimated by NIH that over 28 million adults in the US are adult children of alcoholics (ACoA) it warrants educating the public about the family dynamics that lead to alcoholism and workaholism.
Borderline Personality Disorder is a lonely and isolating condition, coupled with chronic emptiness and often unresolved trauma. Life for someone with Borderline Personality Disorder is full of chaos and impulsivity. It is a mental illness that often goes unrecognized and is difficult to treat. Too often, the symptoms (addictions) are mistakenly considered to be the problem. The cause of a personality disorder is believed to be an invalidating environment in childhood. In most cases, alcohol, drugs, or work are the typical addictions in adulthood.
As someone who has struggled with BPD since my teen years, I can only hope that Robin Williams tragic death can help bring awareness and prevention for this personality disorder that begins in childhood, but does not manifest until young adulthood. There is no cure, and it is difficult to treat. Our best hope is prevention.
A great blog post I read awhile ago argued John Keating made a horrendous mistake: he never networked with other teachers nor with administration. Those who care about students, their dreams, their abilities can no longer do fabulous teaching alone behind closed doors. Teachers with the passion and critical thinking of John Keating must network, face-to-face and through social media. In the current age of education, reaching out and sharing the message of what true education entails is as important as inspirational classroom teaching. For those of us who lost due process, networking is an even more important lesson.
That’s an interesting point. I need to re-watch the movie. I did think he got along with the (highly traditional) Latin teacher. His relationships with colleagues may have been complicated by his being a Welton alum. I had to opportunity to teach at my alma mater and ultimately decided against it because of how I might be impacted by relationships with my prior teachers. Bottom line is your point about the necessity relating well with your peers and bosses is critical.
Will we ever know what anti depressant that he was taking for his depression, with suicide as a labeled side effect. This is what every school shooter was on, along with the numbers of soldiers.
Great post! While attending the University of Connecticut, I took a class with Sam Pickering (DPS was inspired by his teaching). Teachers like Williams and Pickering are the reason I went into education. Excitement, the unknown, and inspiration- this is what good teaching is all about! I hope that in the wake of his passing, the world can look back on William’s work in this movie and be reminded of what a good teacher is.
He played the characters of many different roles in his life. The one he played as a teacher in the Dead Poet Society, was one that should never be forgotten a teacher whose sense and beliefs were demonstrated when he became the amazing teacher who was not afraid to stand strong for his students and for the love of the profession. What an amazing character he portrayed in this film. I want to remember him for the amazing way he took on a character because he not only portrayed them but he became them. He was an amazing teacher in that film, it is what I believe most educators who care for their students would be like. Amazing human being and I want to remember his positive contribution to the arts. Gone too soon.