"I cannot emphasize enough the importance of a good teacher"
About this Quote
The subtext carries Grandin’s larger public story without naming it. As someone closely associated with reframing autism through lived experience, she’s pointing to teaching as translation: a good teacher interprets a student’s signals, builds scaffolding, and refuses to confuse nonconformity with inability. In that sense, “good” is doing a lot of work. It’s not saintliness or inspiration-poster charisma. It’s technique, patience, and a willingness to adapt the environment rather than demand the student perform “normal” on command.
Context matters: Grandin speaks from a world that loves exceptional narratives, especially when they can be packaged as motivational proof that anyone can “overcome.” Her emphasis redirects credit toward mentorship and systems. It’s also implicitly political. If good teaching is crucial, then access to it is not a sentimental wish; it’s an equity problem. The line works because it’s both personal and structural: a testimonial that doubles as an indictment of schools that treat students as standardized inputs and call the casualties inevitable.
Quote Details
| Topic | Teacher Appreciation |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Grandin, Temple. (2026, January 18). I cannot emphasize enough the importance of a good teacher. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-cannot-emphasize-enough-the-importance-of-a-1960/
Chicago Style
Grandin, Temple. "I cannot emphasize enough the importance of a good teacher." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-cannot-emphasize-enough-the-importance-of-a-1960/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I cannot emphasize enough the importance of a good teacher." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-cannot-emphasize-enough-the-importance-of-a-1960/. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.








