Peter Walsworth

New Approaches to Teaching

10/22/2012
What makes a Great Teacher?
As one learns in early education, all stories have a beginning, middle, and end; what
differentiates a great story from an average story is the development along the way. The development
of the plot, the unfolding of scenery, and the growth of the characters and the reader's ever-changing
understanding of those characters; all these things together make a story great. In the same way, a
person's life develops slowly over time, shaped over time by influences both good and bad. Teachers,
in all their various forms and areas, are afforded a special opportunity when it comes to influencing
lives. They are allowed to help in the process of shaping and molding a great number of individuals'
lives, as they teach and work with their students. Teachers have this opportunity to be hugely
influential, but some capitalize on it more than others; some teachers make a more lasting impression
than others. The differences between the teachers that make lasting impressions on their students and
those that don't are sometimes subtle and sometimes painfully obvious, but it is those differences that
separate great teachers from the rest of the pack. This paper will identify the characteristics that help to
define a great teacher.
In the school wide seminar, all of the students were divided into six groups of six to seven
people and asked to define a great teacher in a concise list of defining characteristics. The lists varied
widely with interesting and thoughtful answers; some listed with sweeping generalities so as to
encompass the many traits that they felt separated their best teachers from the rest, others tried to find
key, specific differences that allowed the teachers they loved to excel. In the end, we had a broad
summary of our ideal teachers. Those who we thought stood out and made their students better both in
their individual fields and in their lives.
The first and most obvious requisite for a teacher is a wide knowledge of their field. To instruct
and inform a teacher must first have the knowledge themselves that they wish to impart to their

students. They must also have at least a basic knowledge of related fields; for example, a voice teacher
needs a knowledge not only of vocal repertoire, linguistics, and music fundamentals, but also of related
fields like human anatomy and physiology, and the different styles of learning. It's the knowledge of
the material and how to present the material that make for an impressive and meaningful learning
experience. A teacher needs to be able to answer questions on subjects and to have enough knowledge
that they can do so with confidence; yet when the question comes that a teacher doesn't have an answer
for, they need to know enough about the field to direct their student's inquiry to a point that they can
find the answer. For a teacher to be great, they must first and foremost be able to instruct and inform,
and this comes from having a wide knowledge base.
The second necessity on the path to teaching greatness is an ability to communicate and relate
with the students. Communication takes on many different forms between a teacher and a student;
from an ability to understand a student to an ability to be understood by a student, from being
empathetic to being able to read the emotions on a students face, the aspects of communication both
verbal and non-verbal are vital to a teacher-student relationship. The need for a teacher to develop
these skills is absolutely necessary so that they can build a good connection with their students and
understand them in words, thoughts, and actions. A great teacher builds a level of trust with their
students by communicating frequently and openly, and endeavoring to understand the student's point of
view.
The third very important aspect of teaching closely relates to communicating; it involves
maintaining a student's interest. There are a number of individual points that go into keeping teaching
interesting, one of them is adaptability. Teaching individuals means that every student reacts
differently to each teaching method, a great teacher finds a way, upon noticing the student's reaction, to
adapt the material to the student so that they are engaged and fully comprehending what is being
taught. This kind of adaptability often requires creativity and improvisation from the teacher. Keeping
a student's interest also requires that the teacher maintains an interest in their subjects. An attentive

student can see whether a teacher is engaged with the material or not; can see if a teacher enjoys the
subject. It's important for a teacher to keep a love and enthusiasm for their subject so that it can be
imparted to the students they teach.
Truly great teachers display these three characteristics with their students. They teach based on
the knowledge that they have gathered about the subject, in a manner that keeps the student's interest
piqued, and that they can understand. They use the three to compliment each other and build off of
each other. The knowledge alone is useless if it cannot be imparted in a useful way to the student. An
ability to communicate isn't helpful unless the teacher can hold the student's interest. Even if a teacher
is captivating and intriguing, their teaching will be meaningless if they haven't studied and researched
their subjects in an effort to build a meaningful knowledge base.
Great teachers aren't found everywhere, and not every student receives the teaching from a
single individual in the same way. There isn't a correct method to go about teaching well; no single
path to greatness. The paths to teaching greatness are often long and winding. It's these factors that
can typically be found in the teachers that have made an impact on their students lives. It's these
factors that allow a teacher to make that meaningful impact and change the lives of their students.
Great teachers aren't found in abundance, but their influence stretches beyond that of almost any other
profession. It's a spectacular opportunity and a heavy responsibility to contribute to the shaping of
human lives and personalities; the positive change made in the world because of great teaching is
utterly remarkable. Great teachers are developers of the human nature in the most wonderful way
possible.