Fred Aiken Writing

Daily writing prompt

What makes a teacher great?

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I would not pretend to be an expert at determining what makes a teacher good, great, or bad. All I can speak to is my personal experiences and the teachers that I liked the most and the ones that made me want to learn more. But I also recognize that they might not be the best sorts of teachers for every student, since I would imagine a teacher’s success would also partially depend on their students.

But the best teachers I had tended to always have a handful of things in common. The first being passion. I always got the impression that the teacher wanted to be there despite the fact that there were any number of kids that did not. And that sort of energy was always infectious. I feel like when a teacher was low energy and blasé about what they were teaching, then it would rub off on me. That’s probably why I did really poorly in geometry. Our teacher, Mr. Carson, came off as very dispassionate. He sort of ran through lectures without giving any good explanations, and by the end of each class, I had more questions than answers. Mr. Carson was so unapproachable that I tended not to ask any questions.

In contrast, my eleventh-grade biology teacher, Ms. Robbins, was a whirlwind of enthusiasm. She would leap around the room, demonstrating mitosis with oversized foam cells and narrating each stage with the excitement of a sports commentator. Her energy was infectious. Even students who hated science found themselves drawn in by her passion. She made us feel that what we were learning was not just important, but thrilling.

Another quality that stands out is empathy. The best teachers I encountered understood that students are not just receptacles for information, but individuals with their own struggles, fears, and dreams. They took the time to get to know us, to understand our backgrounds, and to tailor their teaching to our needs. For example, Mr. Thomas, my high school history teacher, had a knack for weaving stories into his lessons, making historical events come alive. He understood that not all of us found dates and events compelling, so he brought history to life through the lens of human experience, connecting past to present in a way that felt immediate and relevant. He once spent an entire class re-enacting the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, assigning roles to each student and guiding us through the complex negotiations. It was unforgettable and made the intricacies of history stick.

Good teachers also have a certain flexibility. They are willing to adapt their teaching methods to better suit the needs of their students. This doesn’t mean abandoning the curriculum but rather finding innovative ways to present the material. Mrs. Hernandez, my eleventh-grade English teacher, introduced us to Shakespeare not through dry recitation, but through performance. We would act out scenes, discuss the motivations of characters as if they were people we knew, and even write modern-day adaptations of the plays. I remember our class’s modern adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet,” set in rival tech companies. Her approach made Shakespeare accessible and even fun, something I never thought possible before her class.

Patience is another essential trait. Learning is not a linear process, and good teachers understand that students learn at different paces and in different ways. They are patient with those who struggle and find ways to support them without making them feel inferior. Mr. Patel, my chemistry teacher, would spend extra hours after school to help students who were having a hard time. He never showed frustration, only a calm determination to ensure that everyone had the opportunity to succeed. I remember one time when I was struggling with stoichiometry. He patiently walked me through the concepts step by step until it finally clicked. That kind of dedication made a huge difference.

Lastly, good teachers inspire. They ignite a curiosity and a love for learning that extends beyond the classroom. They encourage students to think critically, to question, and to explore. My middle school science teacher, Mrs. Owens, did just that. She had this way of presenting scientific concepts not as dry facts, but as mysteries waiting to be solved. One memorable experiment involved creating a small ecosystem in a bottle, where we could observe the water cycle, plant growth, and even the decomposition process over several weeks. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and it made me want to learn more, to dive deeper into subjects I had never considered interesting before.

While I can’t claim to have a definitive answer to what makes a teacher great, my personal experiences have shown me that the best teachers share certain qualities: passion, empathy, flexibility, patience, and the ability to inspire. These traits create an environment where students feel valued, understood, and motivated to learn. And while every student is different and may respond to different teaching styles, these qualities seem to be a common thread among the teachers who made the most impact on me.