Mr. Grebanier, my high school French teacher was my most influential teacher because it was clear that he loved teaching. He made learning French as fun for us as teaching the language was for him.

He gave us all French names, and he bounced around the room as he engaged us in conversation. He even wore a beret atop his gray hair. Mr. Grebanier was inspiring and inspired. He was a ball of energy with sparkle in his eyes. I loved learning languages, and even bought several novels in French and read them over the summer. It was a bit of a struggle, but I consulted my Petite Larousse for help when needed. Mr. Grebanier told us where we might find a bookstore that sold books written in French., and I took a trip into Manhattan to find the store and browse its shelves in wonderment. I still have my copy of Sartre’s Les Joux Sont Faits on one of my bookshelves.