How One MIT Professor Changed My Life Forever: The Moment I Knew I Had to Become a Teacher

There are moments in life when someone completely shifts the way you see the world, opening up possibilities you never knew existed. For me, that person was Walter Lewin, the world-renowned MIT physics professor. Watching his lectures online wasn’t just an educational experience, but also it was the spark that ignited my passion for teaching. I stumbled upon Walter Lewin’s lectures on YouTube while trying to make sense of a particularly tricky physics concept. Up until that point, I thought of physics as a tough subject – formulaic and distant. But when I watched Lewin effortlessly bring equations to life, everything changed. He wasn’t just teaching physics, but also he was making me feel it. Whether it was swinging from a pendulum or dramatically using water jets to illustrate pressure, Lewin’s demonstrations were nothing short of mesmerizing.

What struck me the most was his passion. He genuinely loved what he was teaching and that love was infectious. Every time he explained a complex concept, it was with such enthusiasm and joy that I couldn’t help but be excited. That’s when I realized that teaching wasn’t just about delivering information, but also it was about inspiring others to love learning.     

Walter Lewin's  ability to take difficult, abstract concepts and explain them in simple, engaging ways amazed me. Watching him, I began to understand that great teaching is about more than just covering a syllabus. It’s about asking the right questions and encouraging students to think beyond the material. Lewin’s demonstrations weren’t just memorable because they were entertaining, but also they were impactful because they showed me that learning is about exploration. He didn’t just give answers, he made you wonder, “Why does this happen?” That curiosity is what stuck with me long after his lectures ended and it’s the same feeling I want to pass on to my own future students.

One of the most remarkable things about Walter Lewin’s teaching style was how he made learning a full experience. He would swing on a giant pendulum to prove the laws of motion or fire projectiles across the room to demonstrate velocity and gravity. These weren’t just gimmicks. They were visual, hands-on experiments that made abstract theories real and tangible.

It dawned on me that teaching isn’t about making students memorize facts. It’s about creating moments that stick. Lewin showed me that the best teachers don’t just teach from a textbook, but also they make learning exciting and experiential. That’s the kind of teacher I wanted to be who brings learning to life in a way that students will remember long after they have left the classroom.

Before encountering Walter Lewin, I had seen physics as a dry subject full of formulas and rules. But Lewin made me realize that physics isn’t just a subject, it’s a way of understanding the universe. His lessons weren’t just about teaching facts, but also they were about revealing the beauty of the physical world. He made me appreciate how the laws of physics govern everything from the smallest atom to the largest galaxy and he did so with such clarity and excitement. Lewin's ability to take something as complex as physics and make it both fun and profound inspired me to pursue teaching as a way to share that wonder with others. If I could help even one student see the world differently, the way Lewin did for me, I knew I would have accomplished something meaningful.

Walter Lewin showed me that teaching is more than a job. His lectures didn’t just help me understand physics, but also they inspired me to want to teach others. He taught me that a great teacher doesn’t just share knowledge, but also sparks a passion for learning.

My goal as a future teacher is to carry forward the same enthusiasm, curiosity and love for learning that Lewin demonstrated. I want to create an environment where students feel excited to learn, where they are encouraged to ask questions and where every lesson feels like a journey of discovery. Just like Lewin, I want to make education not just a transfer of information, but an experience that students will carry with them for the rest of their lives.