Linda Deighan taught in the San Mateo Union High School District for 37 years—most of these at Hillsdale High School. If one does the calculations that means her teaching has influenced more than six thousand students. But Linda did not just teach 6,000 students. Linda did so much more. She has taught everyone at Hillsdale, and many other teachers and administrators many invaluable lessons. Here are just some of them: 1. Work hard and don’t complain about it, because working hard is the right thing to do. 2. Prepare every class period as though an administrator were observing you. 3. Treat everyone with dignity and respect. 4. Say, “yes” when someone asks you to do something that is not in your contract, and then do the job without complaint. 5. Be organized. Organizing is comforting to you, your colleagues, and most importantly, your students. 6. Do not rest on your laurels. Always work to be a better teacher--even if it is your last year of teaching. 7. Never badmouth anyone. There is no payoff in gossip or negative comments. 8. Help anyone if you can. There is a payoff in giving your assistance to others. 9. Be a good listener. Listen to what people are saying and do your best to hear and acknowledge their ideas. 10. Do not speak just to be heard. People who speak a lot are rarely listened to for very long. Save your comments, plan your comments, and speak to the point. Only then will people listen to and respect what you have to say. 11. Never demand that people notice you or praise you for how hard you are working. If you are working hard, they will know it. If you are not, they will know that, too. 12. And finally, the most important lesson she taught us is not to raise your voice. A student will respond more positively to a very quiet suggestion as will most people in the world. Linda was renowned for helping other teachers, sharing curriculum, giving gentle advice and teaching us all through her example. She hasn’t just taught 6000 students. If, conservatively, she has influenced only one other teacher per year for the past thirty years, then her true influence has been over at least 70,000 students. She changed Hillsdale. She did that through her quiet dignity.