What Makes a Great Teacher

An instructor, a role model, and an inspiration. To be known as all three of these is the ultimate goal of a teacher. These achievements are what separate teachers from great teachers. The hardest grade level to teach is high school, it’s the age of developing an identity, when teens know everything and nothing at the same time. To be a teacher at this level requires dedication, patience, and most of all, passion.

These teachers must actually love teaching and helping their students grow. A great teacher will stop at nothing to help their students reach their full potential. Whether it’s tutoring outside of class, or extra work for practice, a great teacher can never put in too much effort to help his or her students. A great teacher will also strive to understand their students and the ways they individually learn best. Teachers should look at their class as every student being an individual and not just a group of interchangeable teenagers. To be a great teacher, they need to determine if their students are visual, audible, or kinesthetic learns and shape their teaching to help each student.

Using the techniques students learn best through can be the difference between students achieving or failing. Teachers should strive to accommodate audio learners as well by having lectures and classroom discussions. Then, while speaking, teachers should have a bright colored PowerPoint or other visual image that goes along with the lesson to help the visual learns. Lastly, the kinesthetic learns need a hands-on approach. To help these kids, teachers should provide a variety of labs or other hands-on activities as much as possible. Every teacher aspires to the best they can be—and their job is more than just a way to make a living.

A great teacher’s job is to help shape the future generation to be the best they can be.