What is a great teacher? What makes a teacher great? What is typical of a great teacher? If there was a secret ingredient to being great, it would be great to know about it. Yet if we knew, and we would try and follow it like textbooks, life would be boring, both in the classroom as well as on the street. Perfectionism would bring out the worst from those who strive for it and those who rebel against it. Life as a teacher would be portrayed as inflexible, intolerant and inhumane.
What is a great teacher? Can we follow the footsteps of those who had once ruled the hallways and classrooms of our school? Or read about their lives as we stumble across them on the sidewalks through monuments and Stolpersteine? Or reminisce about the teachers of our time growing up, over a beer or wine at a class reunion? Some say that our teachers set great examples and play a role in our development, but only a few remain close friends for life.
What makes a teacher great? It’s about what you learned from the teachers you had in school; from those who were close and helped you succeed. It’s about learning from your own personal experiences, remembering the stories told to you while growing up, embracing in your own faith, and developing your passion for the job. Molding it together and being prepared to share them with others.
What is typical of a great teacher? It can be best described as follows:
A great teacher enters the classroom like it’s a concert at Carnegie Hall……
……..and comes away with a standing ovation at the end of class.
A great teacher shows competence in his subject and confidence in his class….
…..and never falters to those who think they are better than he.
A great teacher is communicative, humorous and open-minded….
…..and the same goes to the students if it applied correctly in class.
A great teacher always listens to the needs of others……
…..and finds ways to cater to them.
A great teacher devotes his time and effort in his subject with a passion…..
…..so that the students can do the same when learning it.
A great teacher teaches the students what is good and what is bad in life…..
……and follows these examples, both on and off campus.
A great teacher is a great storyteller……
…..and uses it to teach the students the morals in life.
A great teacher always embraces in new things for the classroom……..
……and is never afraid to part ways with the old.
A great teacher is flexible and spontaneous……..
……and never follows the rules like a textbook.
A great teacher never holds back on his opinions and truths…..
……and is not afraid of the opinions and truths from his students.
A great teacher is always creative and tries new experiement….
…..as long as he and his students profit from them.
A great teacher always makes mistakes in class……
…..and should not be afraid to admit being human.
A great teacher is also a great mentor….
….being the guiding light for those who need it.
A great teacher is always there if the student needs help……
…..whether it’s big or small, in school or outside,
….a great teacher will always be your friend for life.
And when you have a chance to meet your great teacher- your mentor, friend and all- many years down the road, always remember what he taught you and why he got you to where you are today. After all, what he passed down to you, it’s your job to pass it down to your children of the next generation.
That is what defines a teacher a great teacher. 🙂
Author’s note: I had some great teachers growing up in Minnesota, but this one goes out to one who was an elementary school teacher and close friend of the family. I had her for the last two years before entering middle school and we became great friends afterwards. Many people knew her for the characteristics that I’ve pointed out here and it was through these key points where people like me took them and made use of them, both as teachers as well as parents and beyond. In her memory, this one’s for you with many thousands of thanks! 🙂 ❤
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