Jonathan Haidt - Teachers Make a Difference

The speaker reflects on a significant teacher from their freshman year at Yale, a graduate student who taught writing. This teacher's detailed feedback on weekly essays greatly improved the speaker's writing skills by senior year. The speaker honors this teacher and acknowledges the thousands of graduate students across the country who play a similar role in teaching writing to freshmen.

Who was the teacher that the speaker remembered for making a difference in their writing skills?

• A family member

• A high school teacher

• A graduate student at Yale

• A professional author

What did the speaker realize when comparing their freshman and senior year writings?

• Their writing style remained the same

• Their writing was always excellent

• Their writing had improved significantly

• Their writing had become worse

What was the primary method used by the teacher to help improve the speaker's writing?

• Oral presentations

• Detailed feedback on essays

• Group discussions

• Weekly quizzes

What did the teacher emphasize in writing according to the speaker?

• Avoiding triteness and using powerful words

• Focusing on grammar rules

• Writing lengthy essays

• Using complex vocabulary

Who does the speaker wish to honor besides their own teacher?

• All high school teachers

• All professional authors

• All graduate students teaching freshmen

• All family members