I've been reading a bunch of books about education (to prepare for homeschooling), and one of them made an interesting point about the teachers that really made a difference in our lives. It got me thinking, and I wonder if it's true for everyone or just for me.

The book said that we usually tend to remember these teachers not for the information they taught us, but for something else: for believing in us, encouraging an interest or passion, pushing us to go to college/grad school, serving as a role model, etc.

Is that true for you? What teachers really made a difference in your life, and why do you remember them so clearly?