1. When you ask scientists why they became scientists you usually get a complicated answer listing many factors but over the years I noticed that one answer comes up more than any other. At some point they were lucky enough to have an amazing science teacher that inspired them.

2. For me it was my biology teacher Mr. Staines in the last year of high school. Though close to retirement after decades of teaching, he had a deep & infectious sense of wonder at the natural world & its mysteries. Also, he had the ability to convince us we were good at science.

3. Mr. Staines worked in a school where most students (like me) were from working & middle class immigrant backgrounds. He produced generations of scientists & did this without the aid of computers or cool animations (or even a half decent textbook). He was just a gifted teacher.

4. When I hear the eternal debate how to get young people to be interested in STEM I often hear expensive fancy high tech solutions or out of the box innovation. But a simpler place to start is to give our hero science teachers the respect, support, & importantly pay they deserve