If anyone wants to know who first set my mind on fire, it was my Form 2 (or 3?) History teacher at Glen Waverley High School, Itiel Bereson. He wrote our textbook for that year "England: Yesterday and Today". He would walk into class, and instead of taking up the usual position (a seat behind the teacher's desk) he would sit on the front of the desk, directly opening himself up to the audience's criticism. He did not hide behind the veil of teacher authority, but instead welcomed all his students to savour the wealth of information that he had.
Obviously he was blessed with a fabulous memory, so necessary for comprehending history, and because he wrote our textbook would rock up completely unarmed, sit on top of the desk, and start talking, right off the top of his head.
What a brilliant mind and an inspirational teacher.
I was so chuffed when he wrote in my report book "Sam is a pleasure to teach". Why? Because I had my eyes and ears glued to him, never caused a disruption in class, and paid 100% attention to him. I thoroughly enjoyed learning for the first time in my life.
He understood how humanity has a good side and a bad side. Instead of telling us what happened in history, he would set the scenario before a monumental event and then ask us to suggest why civilisation would react or take a course of action.
What he was teaching was actually philanthropy under the guise of Man's history. But what better way to do it other than judging Mankind by the record of his actions?
At once, I understood that all people have a choice in how they behave, and that they have to live with the results of their actions. This was painfully apparent in how certain historical decisions panned out, be they good or bad.
He didn't preach morality. He said - this was what was in front of them, this is what they chose to do, and this is what resulted. What a brilliant teacher. In order to understand history, one first has to understand what drives Mankind.
Itiel passed in 2016. Hare Kṛṣṇa हरे कृष्ण may God bless you and deliver you to the beautiful future that you deserve.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/obituaries/teacher-shared-his-passion-for-history-20170405-gve5to.html
Obviously he was blessed with a fabulous memory, so necessary for comprehending history, and because he wrote our textbook would rock up completely unarmed, sit on top of the desk, and start talking, right off the top of his head.
What a brilliant mind and an inspirational teacher.
I was so chuffed when he wrote in my report book "Sam is a pleasure to teach". Why? Because I had my eyes and ears glued to him, never caused a disruption in class, and paid 100% attention to him. I thoroughly enjoyed learning for the first time in my life.
He understood how humanity has a good side and a bad side. Instead of telling us what happened in history, he would set the scenario before a monumental event and then ask us to suggest why civilisation would react or take a course of action.
What he was teaching was actually philanthropy under the guise of Man's history. But what better way to do it other than judging Mankind by the record of his actions?
At once, I understood that all people have a choice in how they behave, and that they have to live with the results of their actions. This was painfully apparent in how certain historical decisions panned out, be they good or bad.
He didn't preach morality. He said - this was what was in front of them, this is what they chose to do, and this is what resulted. What a brilliant teacher. In order to understand history, one first has to understand what drives Mankind.
Itiel passed in 2016. Hare Kṛṣṇa हरे कृष्ण may God bless you and deliver you to the beautiful future that you deserve.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/obituaries/teacher-shared-his-passion-for-history-20170405-gve5to.html
