John W. Durnford Teaching Excellence Award (Faculty of Law)

Ron Sklar

Faculty of Law

My "inspiration"? It was not a law school prof, but a seventh-grade teacher in junior high school in the Bronx of the late '40s: Mrs. Leah Siegal, the only teacher whose name I recall from those years. She taught history, via great literature. With her drive and enthusiasm, she made every book come alive, made every one of us excited to read and then to come to class to listen and to argue with each other. She also made us laugh -- a lot. I still remember giving a report on The Odyssey to the whole class. It still ranks in my mind as the greatest stand-up performance of my academic life (although I'm not sure I was that funny).

Drive and passion for what I teach (like the "hearsay rule" or the principle of mens rea), that's what I've tried to communicate to my law students, where possible with humour. I want them to leave having argued, taken and defended positions, learned and felt extended -- and having enjoyed the process. Have I been trying, maybe unconsciously, to emulate Leah Siegal? I don't know, but I would like to think so.