What Makes a Teacher Amazing?

What makes a teacher amazing?

Once again, you are privy to my thoughts and ramblings as I've made it a goal to sit in on two or three classes per week at my lifelong learning center. Lately, I've begun to focus on what makes a teacher's presence magical?...what makes you hold on to his/her words long after the actual classroom experience? Well, these are my thoughts:

* A wonderful teacher stays in the driver's seat. By that I mean, a student is not allowed to take the class off on a personal tangent. The teacher is so much in the driver's seat that he/she is able to create examples that specifically apply to a particular student and then draw that student into the discussion by name. Now, the student is an active participant in the goings-on rather than a passive listener.

* A wonderful teacher shares a part of his/her life by way of anecdote so that the student feels a connection that goes beyond the words being delivered. By exposing himself/herself, the teacher becomes vulnerable in the way that the student cares about the teacher almost like a friend.

* A wonderful teacher does not hold back any materials. He/she shares the grand successes along with the dismal failures. If it's true that we "live and learn," then why not share failures to help someone avoid the same pain or expense.

*Lastly, a wonderful teacher goes beyond. Every five minutes of material has taken maybe two or three hours to prepare. Why? Well, maybe it involves humor (which keeps adult learners awake), or maybe it involves coming up with the perfect case study to illustrate a point, or maybe it involves footnoting facts and figures...so they are not pulled out of thin air. Winging it is not an option for an amazing teacher!