Daily writing prompt

What makes a teacher great?

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Thanks for this daily writing prompt, WordPress, because I can speak from first-hand knowledge. Not only was I an ESL teacher for many years, I was also a teacher trainer, meaning that I instructed fluent-level international students on how to be effective, creative English teachers in their home countries.

I loathed teaching. Despised it. Never wanted to do it. Got swept up in it because of life circumstances and having no fallback plan. I can tell you immediately that what doesn’t make a teacher great is someone who is doing it because they need a job. The resentment and hostility are impossible to conceal when you are, essentially, performing every single day in front of an audience. It’s tough to describe the emotions that swarm your being when you wake up every morning thinking to yourself, “It’s showtime,” knowing you will have to be enthusiastic, energetic, engaging, balanced, and at the mercy of a roomful of people staring at you and expecting you to guide their lives for several hours.

I’ve had more panic attacks than I care to count because of teaching, two of which had me so convinced I was dying, I ended up in the ER. I quit not long after the last one. I did everyone a favour by bowing out of the profession permanently, but believe it or not, I was quite popular and well-liked for the time I committed myself to the job. Because here’s what makes a great teacher:

A genuine love of performing. No qualms about being put on the spot. Confidence, no matter how false or genuine. A legitimate investment in the subject matter. A dedication to putting personal time and effort into lesson plans, material, resources, and innovation, often without compensation. Complete selflessness and a nonstop outward focus (which can be quite healthy in small doses). Not coming into the classroom with a personal agenda or eagerness to peddle your propaganda. Authenticity, as opposed to condescension and a delusion of superiority. Humour. Wit. Humanity. Kindness. Preparedness. And more than a few marbles missing.