4 qualities of inspirational teachers, according to Bill Gates

Gates says he loves the way Feynman's face lit up when he explained how fire works. He radiated an obvious love of knowledge, and it made the students excited about science too.

"In that sense, Feynman has a lot in common with all the amazing teachers I’ve met in schools across the country," Gates writes. "You walk into their classroom and immediately feel the energy — the way they engage their students — and their passion for whatever subject they’re teaching."

Physics can seem complicated and abstract, but Gates says the best teachers make difficult subjects relatable.

Feynman once did a series of lectures at California schools for people who didn't specialize in physics, and made the topic digestible for everyone. You can now watch those lessons online for free.

"He's taking something that's a little mysterious to most people and using very simple concepts to explain how it works," Gates says. "He doesn't even tell you he's talking about fire until the very end, and you feel like you're figuring it out with him."

Like all great teachers, Feynman engaged his students and made physics fun.

"Feynman made science so fascinating," Gates says. "He reminded us how much fun it is, and everybody can have a pretty full understanding. 

Feynman wasn't just a great teacher and renowned scientist — he was apparently also quite the character. He knew a lot about a bunch of different disciplines, from translating Mayan hieroglyphics to playing the bongo, and he brought that energy for learning into the classroom.

He represented what great thinkers are truly capable of, Gates says.