In this article, the author discusses two approaches to teaching: "a guide on the side" and "a sage on the stage." He juxtaposes Alison King's heavy-handed characterization of the traditional college lecturer, and offers his own characterization of self-styled stage-hog professors to offset King's caricature. He also presents a composite picture of the sage on the stage as he saw him in English, history, religion, law, science, and philosophy classes at both a liberal-arts college and a land-grant university more than 40 years ago.