Remembering John Wilcox and other teachers of his calibre

Christopher Plummer and Des McAnuff are on The Hour as I write this. If you don’t know Des McAnuff, he’s the current artistic director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and an accomplished Broadway director in his own right.

But the reason I’ve heard of him is because he went to my high school in the late sixties, and he’s gone on record about the debt he feels he owes to a drama teacher named John Wilcox. And when I saw McAnuff on television just now, it was tough not to think of the man who considered him his prized pupil.

I got to know John Wilcox in the nineties, towards the end of his teaching career. He was a stern and demanding professional, but he was also a very warm person and an encouraging educator. He suffered a stroke in the late nineties, which brought an early end to his career. But he would recuperate and live on to see a drama award and a high school auditorium named in his honour before his passing a few years later.

My sister won that award in 2002, and Mr. Wilcox was on hand to present it to her at her commencement. I hadn’t seen him in years, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to say hello to him after the ceremony. He apologetically admitted that his memory wasn’t what it used to be, and I explained that I was a former student of his who was there to watch my sister graduate and receive his award.

“Ah!” he said. “Rachel Blair! A terribly attractive woman!”

When Mr. Wilcox retired following his stroke, an assembly was held in his honour. One of the more memorable aspects of the day was a video by McAnuff, who wasn’t able to attend in person. McAnuff thanked him for his influence and dedication to teaching, saying that he wouldn’t be where he was today if Mr. Wilcox hadn’t been in his corner.

It was a wonderfully touching example of credit given where it was due. And looking back on it now, it feels like yet another reminder of the difference a good teacher can make.

John Wilcox was the teacher who came to mind tonight because of McAnuff’s TV appearance. But I could just as easily have mentioned a dozen other teachers who have made a big difference in my life, and that’s just me. What’s more, according to this online memorial, Mr. Wilcox isn’t the only one of those teachers who has since passed on.

I guess what I’m saying is that teaching, when done right, is a grossly underrated occupation. And whenever we have an opportunity to acknowledge that, and give those teachers the credit they deserve, we should probably take it.

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