After reading the moving NPR story of a neurosurgeon who thanked his high school science teacher, investigative reporter Steve Silberman began to imagine all the other stories out there of a teacher’s influence on prominent writers, teachers, and scientists.  “It struck me how rarely we hear from accomplished people about the debt they owe their teachers,” writes Silberman in the NeuroTribes blog on PLoS Blogs. Lucky for us, Silberman approached a number of scientists and writers and asked them “What’s the most important lesson you learned from a teacher?” Read the wonderful submissions he received from award-winning science journalists, best-selling authors, and researchers paying tribute to the teachers who influenced their paths. The stories are both entertaining and inspiring.  As Silberman notes, “The words of a true teacher stay with us a long time, offering wise counsel in a confusing world and a potent inoculation against foolishness.” What’s the most important lesson you learned from a teacher?