GROSSMONT COLLEGE–What is it that separates a good teacher from an exceptional one?  I suppose that can vary.  However, that which seemed to have set apart the late Spanish Prof. Roberto Erquiaga as an exceptional teacher was his absolute and obvious love of teaching.

Before having patiently guided, in Fall 2008, yet another group of first-semester Spanish students–myself included–through the absolute basics of the subject, Erquiaga had already taught Spanish for the better part of four decades, at both Grossmont and Southwestern College.

Undoubtedly Erquiaga had plodded through the same, simple concepts hundreds of times before, with thousands of previous students, nevertheless, Erquiaga never once seemed, to me, to consider even a single lesson or rule in Spanish 120 to be tedious, even after all his years.

He was teaching at age 87 (and died one week before turning 88).  He was born in Lima, Peru on March 16, 1923 and died on March 9, 2011.

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Lindquist is managing editor of the GC Summit.  He may be contacted at [email protected]