The One Thing All Great Teachers Do
I am really inspired by the message and presentation of this TED talk. Ranger Nick made me think about all the great teachers I have had and what about them was great. When he asked the audience to fill in the blank, the one word that kept coming to mind was "connect." The best teachers I have had connected with me and the other students on a personal level. The students were not just a face or a name, but a real person with individual academic needs and a story to share. Before a teacher can connect with the students, he or she must first care about them, as Nick shared. One teacher in particular comes to mind when I think about the CARE acronym. He was my English/Film teacher. He always seemed to enjoy finding out what his students liked or disliked, and who they were personally. Distraction never bothered him much, and he would find a way to add it in to what ever we were discussing that day. He celebrated what was similar about us and also respected what was different. He never rushed, and welcomed questions and discussions. He never shamed mistakes but was ready to explain what was wrong. His feedback was some of the most beneficial of any teacher I have had in my almost three years of college. I actually looked forward to reading his feedback because I knew he wrote it because he cared about my improvement as a writer and student. He encouraged me to learn from my mistakes and strive to do better next time. Because of who he was as a teacher, I always wanted to do my very best on everything I wrote for his class. This kind of teacher is rare and I have not had one like him since. I only hope to impact and inspire my future class the way he did me. That quote by Maya Anglou is so true. I don't remember most of what my teacher said but I will never forget how I felt compelled to do my best for him because he made me and each of his students feel important and that they could do great work.
This TED talk has made me do some major reflecting about the teachers that have inspired me and the qualities that have model that I need as a teacher-to-be.
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