"Ask any successful person and they can almost always name one or two teachers who changed the course of their lives," said Alan Lesgold, education dean at the University of Pittsburgh.

At any level, students gravitate to quality. In some high schools, students are taking courses they don't have to take simply because the teacher knows how to excite students about learning.

In higher education, some students choose a major or a career field because a teacher has been able to share their passion for the subject.

This education planning guide examines teaching in K-12 schools and higher education.

Here's what you'll find:

'Real' schools train teachers
Professors provide vital relationships
Universities approach teaching with creativity
Teachers aim for highly qualified status
State school boards slow to eliminate bad teaching
How their teachers made an impact

Here are seven high school courses students choose:

Students learn more than just songs in music class With audio
Multimedia class offers interactive experience With audio
Chemistry teacher mixes excitement with course work to create thrilling experience With slideshow
Hampton anatomy class popular with students With audio
Thinking is the key element in one teacher's classroom With audio
Rigorous teaching results in gratitude With audio
Her class brings out tears, laughter With audio