Lessons from My Teachers: From Preschool to the Present

by Sarah Ruhl

An inspiring meditation on the life-altering bonds between teacher and student and the ineffable wisdom imparted both inside and outside the classroom, from critically acclaimed author, MacArthur genius, two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, and Tony Award–nominated playwright and author, Sarah Ruhl.

Based on her popular class at Yale, this masterful, intimate essay collection from one of our greatest living playwrights and teachers, Sarah Ruhl, is a testament to the singular impact of teachers across every stage of our lives. Anchored in stories both personal and universal, drawing on Sarah’s experiences with her parents and children, with schoolteachers, creative influences, and beyond, Lessons from My Teachers offers an uplifting perspective on our basic human need to teach and learn from each other as we navigate the surprising paths that shape our lives.

Meant to be shared with loved ones and role models alike and perfect for marking important seasons and milestones, Lessons from My Teachers provides an opportunity to reflect on the human connection between teacher and student and the times in which we ourselves have assumed each role.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Essays, Education, Plays, Biography Memoir, Writing

240 pages, Hardcover

Published May 6, 2025

About the author

Sarah Ruhl (born 1974) is an American playwright. She is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and the PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award for a distinguished American playwright in mid-career.

Originally, she intended to be a poet. However, after she studied under Paula Vogel at Brown University (A.B., 1997; M.F.A., 2001), she was persuaded to switch to playwriting. Her first play was The Dog Play, written in 1995 for one of Vogel's classes. Her roots in poetry can be seen in the way she uses language in her plays. She also did graduate work at Pembroke College, Oxford.

In September 2006, she received a MacArthur Fellowship. The announcement of that award stated: "Sarah Ruhl, 32, playwright, New York City. Playwright creating vivid and adventurous theatrical works that poignantly juxtapose the mundane aspects of daily life with mythic themes of love and war."

Reviews

[Jenny Leitsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect book to read before heading back to the classroom for another school year. It reminded me of the important parts of being a teacher and all the forms a teacher can take. So happy to read Ruhl’s straightforward, insightful prose again after loving Smile so much.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - a collection of essays, some of which I liked a lot! But it dragged in the second half for me.

[Grantland Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Write for your teachers. Write for every single hour they left off writing their own sentences so that they could read one of yours.
Write for yourself
Write for God. The cave. And the envelope.
And when you are not writing for the inward, for the cave, for the the envelope:
Write for yourself.”

I loveeeeeee this womannnnnnn. As someone who has read a number of her plays, it was an absolute treat to dive into something non-fiction based. It should come as no surprise that I was fighting for my life to pick out the best possible quote to help display the brilliance of this text. This one at the end has stuck with me the most.

There are teachers all around us. Everyone we interact with has a lesson we can learn from them as long as we are open to receiving it. It made me eternally grateful for all the wonderful mentors and teachers I’ve had in my lifetime. From High School Theater Teachers to my family to my closest friends to my neighbors.

If you’re looking for something to help shift or refocus your perspective on life, please give this a read!

[Sarah Dressler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruhl investigates and retells the many lessons she's learned through her young life from those she considers teachers through chapters that are in essence essays.

Some of the stories are more relatable than others and they often delve into her life as a playwright- a very niche market.

I found her stories from the youngest years of her childhood- from those true teachers of the classroom- to be the most poignant. On the flip side, the stories of her struggles (yet ostensibly NOT) as a playwright were the most tedious.

She investigates a variety of experiences with different world religions- to the point that it almost seems like a feminist version of woman's search for meaning…or maybe person's search for meaning.

All in all, it seems to be a very introspective look at Ruhl's life, a young life with many years left to live. I will be curious to see how this compilation will change as she ages into mature adulthood with grown children and beyond.

[Stella Chesnut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite quotes
“Women bleed in private like animals, men bleed in public like kings”

“there is no cure for yearning, even the trees bend in the wind like that”

“we could treat theater as a proven method to stem the tide of crippling isolation in this country”

“to be heard, really heard, by another person is to be healed”

“I felt like I was cupping my hands around an ancient art form, that theater was a religious sect that had gone un-derground, and I was holding this little candle, to pass it to the next gen-eration, and the winds were terrible all around us, threatening to blow out the flame.”

[Alyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster publishing for a digital copy of this book.

In Lessons from my Teachers, acclaimed author and playwright Sarah Ruhl shares lessons she has learned from all of the teachers in her life. While there are many anecdotes given from her experiences with actual teachers within a classroom setting, Ruhl expands her concept by encouraging the reader to seek knowledge from everyone they are lucky enough to encounter in life. As shown in her collection of essays, important and lasting lessons can be gained from a limitless amount of sources, ranging from family members (parents, grandparents, spouses) to a cranky neighbor.

While there was nothing earth shattering or groundbreaking gleaned from the pages of this book, Ruhl’s writing style was engaging, and her stories were personal and full of heart. Her musings were insightful, and the essay format really lends itself to a quick and easy read. This book is suitable for any reader looking for inspiration in life, but plays particularly well to those with an interest in writing or playwriting, as the author has a wealth of experiences and influences within those fields.

[Angel Miraya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book offered a handful of lessons that genuinely moved me, alongside several sections I found myself pushing through. Not every reflection held my attention, but the stories that did were thoughtful and meaningful.

Ultimately, my biggest takeaway was the idea that the world is our classroom and that we’re offered opportunities to learn every day if we’re open to them.

[Sally]

just wonderful

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong 4 stars.

[Lindsey Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been an excellent gateway into essays and short stories. I loved how quickly I moved through the book, with many essays/snapshots of the impact of each teacher being a short 4 pages or so. I’m curious to read her other work and also explore more essayists. Very reflective, with depth, humor and honest dialogue.

[Kathryn, the_naptime_reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

t is hard for me to put into words how I feel about this book. It felt like it was written just for me, though I know that isn’t the case.

Ruhl actually grew up in my hometown, and more than that, from reading the book I now know we grew up on the same street. When I mentioned this to my mother, she said “Of course, I knew the family, they lived right down the block from us!”

I first became a teacher in the third grade, bringing home all I was learning in my classroom, to play school and teach it to my 3 year old sister. My dad joked at my wedding that my sister Laura was the best prepared kindergartner to enter Central School because I had already been teaching her for 3 years. The teacher that sparked this flame–Ms. Boland, who Ruhl gave a tribute to in the closing chapter of this book, that had me weeping. Ironic, given I had told my therapist two weeks ago that I cannot seem to cry anywhere , anymore except when talking to her.

And I remained a teacher, in high school I joined New Trier Guard, where I volunteered to teach local children how to swim. I went on to college and got my Bachelors in Early Childhood Education. After graduating, I moved to Philadelphia, and taught with @teachforamerica, got my Masters in Urban Education, returned to Chicago, and I’ve been teaching ever since.

Teaching is one of those things in my life that I felt called to do, and to continue to do. So this book, full of short essays about all the amazing teachers that Ruhl has had in her life, felt like a warm hug.

The message of the book is the importance of teachers, the unexpected places we find teachers, and the lessons we learn for them. It is a book for teachers, but really a book for everyone who has been touched by a teacher.

Ruhl’s writing is impeccable, succinct, clear, and beautiful. I can’t recommend this and her other memoir Smile enough. Now to find Ms. Boland and thank her.

[Zibby Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book explores the transformative relationships between teachers and students in this intimate collection of essays. Based on her popular Yale class, Ruhl reflects on formative figures who shaped her life and work—from her eccentric actress mother and legendary mentor Paula Vogel to elementary school principals and beloved professors. Moving beyond traditional classroom settings, she examines how we learn from parents, neighbors, and even pets throughout our lives. These personal and universal stories celebrate the profound human connections that guide us through unexpected paths and pivotal moments.

This book touched my heart in the most unexpected ways. Ruhl’s ability to distill profound moments into these beautifully crafted short essays is remarkable—each one feels like a perfectly polished gem. I loved how she expanded the definition of "teacher" to include her mother running down stairs, practicing monologues, and a principal who stood up for a child with HIV. Her writing about reaching out to thank teachers while they're still alive moved me to reflect on the people who have shaped my own life. The way she captures how we carry our teachers' lessons with us, often without realizing it, rang so true. This collection made me want to immediately write letters to every teacher who ever made a difference in my life.

To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at: https://zibbymedia.com/blogs/transcri...

[Sharon M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, Simon Element, Marysue Rucci Books for gifting me the new nonfiction book by Sarah Ruhl, playwright and author of Smile. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Based on her popular class at Yale, this essay collection is a testament to the singular impact of teachers across every stage of our lives. Anchored in stories both personal and universal, drawing on Sarah’s experiences with her parents and children, with schoolteachers, creative influences, and beyond, Lessons from My Teachers offers an uplifting perspective on our basic human need to teach and learn from each other as we navigate the surprising paths that shape our lives.

Teaching can be a very thankless profession, especially today. This book offers short essays that will make you think and reflect upon all of those in your life who have made an impact. Maybe it will even cause you to write a note to that special person and let them know how they helped shape you or your children at a particular time. It also shows us that teachers take all forms in our lives, because we all have things to learn and things to teach others. We all need reminders to be grateful to those who help us along the way.

[Kailey Morand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow—what a poignant yet celebratory reflection on the lasting personal impacts of teachers of all kinds. I purchased this collection as a gift to myself for accepting my first full-time position in a school, and not long after as a gift for the great teachers I was preemptively mourning in the days leading up to my college graduation. I thank Sarah Ruhl for articulating the feelings I've been reaching for as a lifelong student, saved in so many ways by school and the teachers I've met along the way, as I approach the world for the first time without a definite "back-to-school" date (as a student, at least). I am confident that I will return to these pages very soon, made even more familiar by Sarah Ruhl's North Shore upbringing, a resonant geographic connection for both myself and my teachers, as a recent graduate from Northwestern in Evanston. Many tears (mostly of gratitude) were shed while reading, both by myself and a teacher with whom this book has already sparked meaningful exchanges. I recommend this book to any person with a fondness for their teachers past, present, and future.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who are your teachers? Do you automatically think of the educators you had in school? Well, Sarah Ruhl delves deeply into the bonds between teacher and student, both inside and outside the classroom.

Lessons learned from her first teacher [her mother], her kindergarten teacher, a principal, a Sunday School teacher. From mentors, from solitude, from death. From a marriage, from a swimming teacher, from the critics, from babysitters, from the gardener, from literature, from her dog. She says, “I found my teachers in a classroom, but also in books, dreams, the natural world, neighbors, friends, children, and in the theater.”

An absolutely wonderful examination of who teaches us and what we learn from them. I heartily recommend this book!

I read this EARC courtesy of Simon & Schuster. Published May, 2025.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please, please, please don’t be dissuaded from reading this miracle of writing because of a saccharine title. It would be a huge mistake.

This book will touch anyone who has been, is planning to be, or currently is:

A Buddhist monk;
Peter Pan;
Peter Pan’s hat;
A Brunonian;
A parent or a child; an aunt, uncle, niece or nephew;
A bookworm;
Looking for a Nepalese nanny in Brooklyn;
A MacArthur Fellow;
A teacher; a pupil; a student; a mentee; a friend;
A human being;
In need of a police person to move one’s mother into assisted living (it ends so well!)
A would-be or published poet, alive or dying;
In charge of a child who understands MOM, that the journey IS the point;
An opera lover;
An opera composer;
Grateful for this world;
A human being;
You.
Ever true. 🤎

This is one of those small gems that make you glad that writers write and that you read. Brava, Sarah Ruhl! Brava!

[Kaitlyn Dote · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Sarah said, “be like blue whales, listening to everything but filtering out what doesn’t serve you”.

I found that this book, no matter where you are in life, will benefit you. Take what you need, but leave the rest… and trust me, there is something in the book you will need, or currently need, or needed once.

This book will be going on my favorites shelf. It’ll definitely be one to revisit when I’m happy, sad, mad, or at peace because I know it’s going to give me something new each time I refer back to it. It won’t matter what I’m feeling or where I am, this book will have a new thing for me. Something I’ll need then and there. I really appreciate that from this book.

A generous piece of writing, Sarah’s book truly has more to it than whats on the page.

[Literarykittens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you @marysueruccibooks for the free book!

"I went through a dark period in which the world seemed to have shrunk. The world seemed to be the size of my pocket, in which was a phone. I felt pulled towards my phone, as if to a magnet, staring at it like an oracle, as though my phone could answer all kinds of spiritual, political, literary, medical, and practical questions. I doomscrolled— extreme weather and extreme politics. Then a pandemic, bodily symptoms, child-rearing, war... But I found few answers on my phone, only very loud opinions. I longed for my own teachers— the human ones, not the ones on my screen."

[Kenzie Veres · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. I’m so proud to be a teacher and I’m so fortunate for this path that’s so beautifully uncertain. My favorite quote from this and many more was “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. When the student is truly ready, the teacher will disappear.” So many lessons about ego and how not to teach with it and to always understand your role as a constant student of others. Teachers are students of their students. Brilliantly book will recommend to so many teachers.

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been lucky to have seen Ruhl's play Eurydice at American Players Theatre, and to have enjoyed her last two books. Her precision with language, combined with a style that invites the reader into these essays, provides great comfort in such uncertain times. It's also chock-full of great advice!

This triggered so many memories that it was like having an exchange with an old friend.

Many thanks.

[Zach Krohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautiful book. It was a great subway read, crying on the train. Written in nice/small chapters in Ruhl's classic romantic and theatrical style.

I loved thinking about all the teachers in my life and how precious they are to me.

The first third of this book is a SOLID FIVE STARS. I think it lost some momentum towards the end, though I would 100% read anything Sarah Ruhl writes. She's incredibly moving, touching.

[Flo · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are someone who has ever had a beloved or many beloved teachers, if you are yourself a teacher, if you are in any position in which you have the opportunity to teach others, whether that be as parent, mentor, or really for every human on the earth who has relationships with others, or if you are craving relationships, deeper relationships, yearn for that experience of having a beloved teacher, I recommend this book. Read it for yourself, read it to enrich the lives of those around you.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful. I could read Sarah Ruhl's writing on just about anything, but the ease with which she elevates writing about those who have taught her and those that continue to do so is just such a joy to behold. I'm truly in awe of how much punches she manages to pack into such a slim book. And bonus points for a surprise appearance by my boss.

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

is a creative and amazing way to bring forward many great themes. I, too, remember many important lessons from specific teachers who molded and carved my path in many ways, just like this book. Wonderful read. The index says a lot. Great format as well. I love the cover so much. From the first teacher (pre-school to present). Awesome to gift as well.

[Shilpa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is making me rethink my whole rating system. It was so good! I am envious of all these amazing teachers and mentors that she has had. I guess the best I can do is learn from her mentors?

But the whole thesis is that the learning happens not just because of the teachings but because of the teachers themselves.

[MandM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rich and enduring. I was a teacher, I hope my students can say they learned something from me. I think I was a better teacher when I was young before all the testing requirements took away from actual teaching.

[Rhonda Lomazow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah Ruhl shares with the important life lessons she has learned from teachers who have inspired her.She shares her experiences with these special teachers from childhood on.This was a wonderful read so thoughtful so lovely so interesting.

[John Perine]

“There are no former teachers, not really. Teachers—the ones who truly taught you—don’t stop teaching you, even after you leave their classroom. Teaching, over time, is ultimately unbounded by the classroom: just as love is unbounded by time.”

[Roger Smitter · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of us have can tell some stories about our teachers. And probly we have a teacher that we can tell persons we have a teacher.

The book gives us some of that stuff. It's good and gives us some things to think about.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love short essays. Being a teacher I wanted to see what she had to say. It is interesting to me that I never heard of her before yet reading her book she seems to be fairly famous. I would read more by her. Some really resonated with me.