Emotional 'literacy' implies an expanded responsibility for schools in helping to socialize children. This daunting task requires two major changes: that teachers go beyond their traditional mission and that people in the community become more involved with schools as both active participants in children's learning and as individual mentors.

I always found the extraordinary loss of life in the First World War very moving. I remember learning about it as a very young child as an eight- or nine-year-old asking my teachers what poppies were for. Every year the teachers would suddenly wear these red paper flowers in their lapels and I would say 'What does that mean?'

The atmosphere at my school was very competitive. Young girls were competing with each other every day for status for leadership for the affection of the teachers. I hated it.

There was the best teachers from the Czech Philharmonic highly dedicated people some of the best musicians in the world passing on the knowledge about the country about the principles and about the music.

The world of knowledge takes a crazy turn when teachers themselves are taught to learn.

Emotional intelligence begins to develop in the earliest years. All the small exchanges children have with their parents teachers and with each other carry emotional messages.

I grew up in a bookless house - my parents didn't read poetry so if I hadn't had the chance to experience it at school I'd never have experienced it. But I loved English and I was very lucky in that I had inspirational English teachers Miss Scriven and Mr. Walker and they liked us to learn poems by heart which I found I loved doing.

The single most important thing in a child's performance is the quality of the teacher. Making sure a child spends the maximum amount of time with inspirational teachers is the most important thing.

Some of my high school teachers did remind me that I had an excellent imagination when it came to making up excuses.

Teachers have a chance to mold someone inspire them. I hope all teachers realize that.