Friday, May 6, 2016

What Makes a Great Teacher?

When thinking about Teacher Appreciation Week I decided to go to the experts, my students, and ask them their thoughts on what makes a great teacher.  The happiness I saw on their faces as they recalled memories of teachers and thought about great things teachers do proves that we are making a positive impact!


What makes a good teacher?


"A teacher needs to be entertaining and interested in what they are teaching.  We don’t want to watch videos every day or just listen to you read something.  We want you to sound like you like what you are doing."  AG ~ 10th grader


"They bring life stories into the lessons - something that relates. This helps me understand the lesson and remember it more" - SP ~ 10th grader


"They don’t have favorites.  We pick up on your body language." - JR ~ 9th grader


"Instead of saying “What are you going to do to fix your mistake?” great teachers gives us options and helps us through the process.  There is a reason we made the mistake." - IM - 10th grader


"A good teacher can be funny and have a good sense of humor, but they also know when to draw the line with students and make them tow the line in their class."  -  IB - 9th grade  


"Teachers that make personal connections and share personal stories about their families and lives makes the class feel more like a family than a bunch of students just sitting together in a room.  The sharing of our life stories with each other makes a better learning connection." -  MF - 9th grader


"Teachers that try to figure me out as a person are the ones I respect most.  They care about my health, my grades, and my personal life." -  DR 9th grader


"A teacher that I can trust and tell things to is important to me" - DB 9th grader


"A good teacher is nice to everyone, not racist, and gives people a chance.   Listen to the students and be reasonable with the students - be fair.  If you don’t like kids, you shouldn't be a teacher." - LA - 9th grader


"A great teacher is someone you know you can trust and that will be there when you need them." - CC - 10th grader


"A teacher that understands how we feel and can relate to what we go through as we deal with drama, problems, and friends in high school is a pretty good teacher in my opinion."  - MZ 9th grader.


"The best teacher I ever had put herself in my shoes. She would give me advice and she’d share personal similar situations that she had been through.  She was very understanding." - LR -10th grader


"No matter how the student acts or what they choose to do, the teacher doesn’t give up on them.  The teacher keeps encouraging the student to be their best even when they are at their worst."  - AG 10th


"A great teacher will take the time to work with you one-on-one when you can’t figure something out." - SC 9th grader


"The teacher tells you the truth even if it hurts. It made me realize I had to get my act together." - AP - 10th grader


"Great teachers go above and beyond for students that need an extra push. My favorite teachers teach because they want to, not because they have to."  - JK 11th grader


And the one that brought me to tears….

“That’s you Miss P. You care about me more than I care about myself sometimes.  Even when I act like a fool you don’t stop giving up on me”  - MU - 11th grader

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