Classroom Virtuoso: Recollections of a Life in Learning

(Paperback)

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Did you ever have a teacher you couldn't forget Someone who helped shape your knowledge and values, and so remains an indelible part of you For more than thirty-five years, Victor L. Cahn has been such an influential figure. As secondary school "master" at Mercersburg, Pomfret, and Phillips Exeter, and as professor of English at Bowdoin and Skidmore, he has instructed, entertained, counseled, and inspired thousands of students, who have reciprocated by granting him their respect and affection.
With the same wit and perception that have made his classes so memorable, and from his singular perspective as student, scholar, playwright, actor, and musician, Professor Cahn offers fascinating insights about learning of all kinds. Equally delightful are the candid reflections on his career, unabashed confessions that will touch anyone who has ever wondered about those rare individuals who bring esteem to the title "teacher."

Reviews

Delightful, witty, well-written, and insightful, Classroom Virtuoso provides not just an entertaining and informative perspective of American education at the prep school and college level, but also a thoughtful perspective of the effects of a changing American society on academic communities over the past fifty years. Whether you teach at a liberal arts college or have attended one, this book is sure to engage you. -- Mary E. Morton Strey, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Gustavus Adolphus College, Minnesota
Victor Cahn is, in his own words, a teacher. A great one, whose talent I had the pleasure of experiencing first hand more years ago than he or I would care to admit. In this artful and witty volume, he still has much to teach us about education, finding a place in the world, and living on our own terms. -- A. T. Charlie Johnson Jr., professor and associate chair for undergraduate affairs, University of Pennsylvania
A constantly engaging memoir by an English professor who loves his life as a classroom teacher. Full of practical strategies, it's a must-read for anyone starting out in the profession. -- David B. McIlhiney, Episcopal Chaplain of the University of Virginia

Author Bio

Victor L. Cahn is professor of English at Skidmore College.