Richard Fisher

history teacher, bass player, late bloomer

Something about being a student strikes a chord with Richard. “I guess you could call me a lifelong learner,” he says. “School is still exciting to me.”

But it didn’t start that way. Richard, who has learning difficulties, struggled through high school and didn’t go to college until he was 24. “That’s when I could finally put the pieces together and succeed,” he says.

Today the Upper School teacher brings that experience—along with an indefatigable love of history and music—into the classroom. “Being an adult learner really helped me,” says Richard, who plays bass in a local jazz band. “Now I get to help students exceed their own expectations every day.”

His favorite lesson? “Academic success isn’t an exclusive club,” he says. “You don’t have to enter through the front door. You can get in from the side door. You can get in from the back door. You can even jump the fence.”