I remember quite a bit, some of it quite obscure (e.g., poetry by Thomas Merton). And I remember distinctive teachers, most of them good: Brother AndrÃ©, who'd be pleased that I can speak some French; the English teacher who coached me to win a speech contest; the shambling, dull-looking history teacher who related early 20th century events to the then-current world.

Most of them had been teachers all their lives, but brought zeal and a sense that the subject mattered.

Harold, your comment above made me pause and think. You're right about the cottage industry (I have taught in three states, though long before the No Child Left Behind act). My grad-school project was field-testing self-student programs for teachers, most of whom were eager to at least try ways to improve their effectiveness in the classroom.

The challenges they face today -- technological, institutional, and chronological (as in, only so many hours in their day) -- confound me.