Ravi Shankar - Teachers Make a Difference - Dr. Jacobs & Lisa Russ Spaar

The speaker reflects on the impact of two influential teachers in their life. In high school, Doctor Jacobs nurtured their passion for poetry, introducing them to poets like Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath. At the University of Virginia, despite studying engineering, the speaker's passion for poetry was further developed under the guidance of Lisa Russ Spaar, whose innovative teaching methods expanded their understanding of pedagogy. The speaker expresses gratitude to both educators for their instrumental roles in their development as a poet.

Which poets did Doctor Jacobs introduce to the speaker during high school?

• Anne Sexton, Robert Lowell, Sylvia Plath

• Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, T.S. Eliot

• Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Robert Frost

• William Wordsworth, John Keats, Percy Shelley

What was the speaker's initial field of study at the University of Virginia?

• Literature

• Engineering

• History

• Biology

Who were some of the poets the speaker worked with at the University of Virginia?

• Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Robert Lowell

• Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, T.S. Eliot

• Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Walt Whitman

• Rita Dove, Greg Laura, Charles Wright

What unique teaching method did Professor Lisa Russ Spaar use in her poetry class?

• Outdoor metaphor exercises

• Group discussions in the library

• Online poetry workshops

• Lectures on famous poets

How did Professor Lisa Russ Spaar's class change the speaker's view on teaching?

• It made them appreciate traditional lectures more.

• It showed them the importance of exams.

• It expanded their idea of what teaching could be.

• It emphasized the need for strict classroom rules.