The Qualities of Great Teachers

Greatness in teaching is just as rare as greatness in medicine, dance, law, or any other profession.
Although the qualities that make great teachers are not easy to inculcate or duplicate, understanding
these qualities can give all teachers a standard of excellence to strive for, and guide schools in their
efforts to recruit and retain the best teachers.
To that end, I offer the following observations about the key characteristics of great teachers. This list
is certainly not exhaustive, and the characteristics do not appear in any particular order of importance.
In my more than 40 years in education, including 24 years as a public school administrator who
directly supervised more than 130 different teachers, these qualities emerged as hallmarks of the best
teaching.

Willingness to Put in the Necessary Time

You cannot achieve greatness by working from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Teaching, like every other
serious profession, requires time. Dennis Littky, an award-winning principal, said, You can't be a
great teacher or principal and not work long, long hours (personal communication, November 11,
1988). By investing timeto prepare for class, to go over student work, to meet students outside of
class, to talk to parents, to attend school meetings, and to serve on school committeesa great
teacher indicates to students that she or he sincerely cares about their learning.
When well-known and respected teacher Thomas T. Lyons retired from Phillips Academy in Andover,
Massachusetts, after a 36-year career, the many tributes he received from former students
overwhelmingly focused on the time he spent with them (Rimer, 1999). Lyons interviewed every
youngster individually at the beginning of the school year. One student, Julie Stephens, said, Mr.
Lyons must have invested at least 20 hours in me just on one paper (p. A6).
Most teachers belong to a teachers' association, union, or other organization that represents their
interests. Typically, some formal document or agreement specifies how many minutes per day or
hours per week they must teach; how much unstructured time they are entitled to; how many
meetings they must attend; and the compensation they must receive for additional work beyond the
usual load. Great teachers respect this agreement and acknowledge that it protects their rights,
ensures academic freedom, and spells out good professional working conditions. But they don't
hesitate to go beyond the contract voluntarily and oftenfor example, by meeting with a student study
group during the teacher's preparation period or after schoolin order to meet the needs of their
students.