Loving to Learn Day 2014: Winners and More!

The 2014 Loving to Learn Day contest asked you to respond to this question: "What makes a teacher a really GREAT teacher?" We received hundreds of responses from the public, from University of Waterloo students, and from students in regional schools such as Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School, Mary Johnston Public School, Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate, Eastwood Collegiate, Northlake Woods Public School, Parkway Public School, Baden Public School, Margaret Avenue Public School, Avenue Road Public School, and Jacob Hespeler Secondary School. From those hundreds of responses we could have chosen dozens of winners! So many of the submissions were insightful, thought-provoking, well-written, creative, and full of wisdom! It was hard to choose just one winner in each category, but that's what we had to do, and they are presented down below (and even further down we've included many of the other submissions).

Each winner will receive a book prize, and all of the other participants can take heart knowing that their responses will be read and enjoyed by many others. 

WINNER in the Kindergarten to Grade 4​ category:

Audrey Guo, Northlake Woods Enrichment 

“What makes a teacher a really GREAT teacher?” Hiding inside these eight small, almost insignificant words, is a lot of meaning. It’s a wonderful question indeed, and of course, a wonderful question will almost always demand a wonderful answer. And the beauty of the answer is that there is such a dazzling variety of responses. From kindergarten to grade four, each and every one of my teachers have had different beliefs, but all of them had something in common. They were all amazing.

Take Mrs. Cohen, for example. I was first taught by Mrs. Cohen on September 12, 2013. If you had just met her for a small amount of time, you may say she’s just as good as all the rest of my teachers. But Mrs. Cohen has quite a bit of special qualities that made me pick her as an example. Mrs. Cohen has the power to understand children as if she’s a child as well. She’s so kind and funny, you’ll start warming up to her like a (very smart and very pretty) friend that you’ve known for a long time. Mrs. Cohen, though, is very special to me in particular because I’ve known her even before she I came to area class, because she’s my brother’s friend’s mom. Says Mrs. Cohen, “I believe that all students should have a choice on whatever they do. When teaching, I always keep the structure and support of my lesson in mind, but above that, I value student involvement. ” I have learned from Mrs. Cohen in such a unique and memorable fashion, she will be in my list of top teachers forever.

Another example would be Mrs. Allen, my English teacher. She is strict so she can keep the class in order, but only when necessary. Other times, she can be one of the nicest teachers in the world. Her perfect balance of strict and kind make her a fabulous teacher. The interesting thing about her is although her teaching style is completely different from Mrs. Cohen’s, Mrs. Allen is still on my mental list of top teachers. Which brings us back to the question proposed, what makes a teacher a really great teacher? The answer, if you haven’t figured it out yet, is uniqueness. After reading these paragraphs, I’m sure your mind will be buzzing with questions. So what are you waiting for? Go! Go out and ask your teachers! I’m sure their answers will all be different, but still correct in their own ways -- and that, my friend, is what makes a great teacher.

RUNNE​R UP in the Kindergarten to Grade 4 category:

Carol Raymond, Our Lady of Lourdes

A great teacher is a teacher that helps you to learn and makes it fun. They also make you feel good when you are around them and they help you to be more confident. They always encourage you to try. I am lucky as I have a great teacher.

WINNER in the Grade 5 to 8 Category:

Nicholas ​Smith

What makes a good teacher, a great one? The list of possibilities is endless since there are so many types of teachers. Your first teachers were your parents. They taught you to crawl, walk and ride a bike. Then there are your coaches who teach you about teamwork and improving your skills. Finally there are your school teachers who stand in front of you. Monday to Friday, ten months of the year trying to prepare you for your next year of schooling. For any of these teachers to be great, they have to possess some key qualities; patience, kindness, a desire to learn, a love for their job and a sense of humour.

Patience for a teacher is understanding that no child is perfect and every child learns differently. Some students are great writers and others wizards of mathematics. Teachers, coaches and parents need to be patient with a child’s learning and encourage them to try again and again. Mr. Hallman, for example deals with many students who have difficultly learning. He approaches each child as an individual and shows kindness and patience when dealing with their learning. A great teacher makes you want to learn whether it is a new skill, a song on the trumpet or the definition of "antidisestablishmentarianism." For example my grade 6 teacher Mrs. Dejong inspired my love for drawing with a drawing of a sneaker. A great coach makes you want to practice and play the sport you love. A great parent wants you to get back on that bike and always give your best effort. Teachers, coaches and parents should want to learn with you since everyone should be a lifelong learner. My brother’s grade three teacher, Mr. McKenzie, for example engages the large population of boys in his class using Minecraft. Teachers of all types need to love their job. Too many people choose a career for the money or how many holidays you get. Great teachers choose teaching because they thrive on helping students and they have a passion for learning. If a teacher doesn’t love what they do, then they aren’t going to inspire children to learn and do their best. Finally, teachers need to have a sense of humour. Humour can keep students engaged in their learning and teachers need to be able to laugh at themselves because we all make mistakes. The ability to have a less serious side makes teachers more human and approachable. My hockey coach, for example makes bets with the players on the number of goals scored. This results in a player who leaves it all on the ice trying to win the bet.

Everyone in their life has been impacted by a teacher whether it was a supportive parent, an inspirational coach or dedicated teacher. Each of these ‘teachers’ possess qualities which make them great. All teachers are called to be great teachers. As Brad Henry stated,” A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning.”

A great teacher is patient. When a class gets a little too energetic and a teacher can calm the class without getting frustrated and moody, it makes the class want to actually listen to the teacher and calm down. I also appreciate when a teacher will explain something to me over again. Sometimes I don’t understand a lesson right away and my teacher can help me with it patiently instead of getting frustrated. I also love when a teacher is humorous. I like when a teacher makes jokes and tells funny stories that relate to the lesson. It is much more engaging and it makes lessons that would be boring, enjoyable. Kids are excited to show up to class when they know they have a funny teacher that will plan a fun lesson and will have a positive attitude. Imagine sitting at your desk doing nothing but copying down notes and reading from a textbook. It is not fun! Teachers who are clever and use different kinds of media, plan field trips and include members of the class in their lessons are entertaining. A clever teacher will never make a class boring. I like a great teacher who gives no homework, but the chances of getting a teacher who gives no homework at all is nearly impossible so I’ve come to realize that some homework is okay. Having too much homework can be very stressful, you get no time to relax and if you get any other homework it’s challenging to finish it. So I guess I like a teacher who gives as little homework as possible.

Over the last 10 years I have had some teachers that have needed some work, some teachers that were good and a few teachers that were great. The great teachers were patient, humorous, clever and didn’t give much homework. There are many great qualities a teacher can have but to me these are the top four.

RUNNE​R UP in the Grade 5 to 8 category:

Maddy ​Clark

I think humor is one of many things that makes a teacher a really great teacher. Someone who makes the class really fun, and makes you want to learn, but still knows when to be serious. I had a really great teacher who would be so dramatic and funny when she taught us the material, it was almost like she was acting it out, and putting on a play for us. This made the class super fun, and we still learned things!

Another thing is when the teachers actually care about you. When teachers ask how your day was, and they genuinely want to hear your story about how your dog knocked over your entire Christmas tree and at the turkey in the same hour, it makes you feel good, and can make your learning experience so much better. Plus, when your teachers share their own funny stories and experiences, it not only makes that specific class funny, some teachers use it as an “inside joke” with the class. I love this, as it makes me enjoy the class and I feel like I am included in something special. I had one teacher who had a nickname for every student in his class- and he remembered them all - and had so many inside jokes with us it was more like a standup comedy than a math class. We all passed with pretty good marks, enjoyed the class a lot, and had many great stories for later!

The thing that makes teachers really great though, is when they remember you. They remember your funny stories, your best subject, your amazing oral presentation that they asked to hear again. They talk with you like they still care, and they aren’t glad you are finally out of your class and they are done with you forever. They still want to hear your stories, and ask how your day was, and they share some of their own. You feel like you can still trust them, and they give you even more memories and stories to share. I had a teacher who gave us each a “gem” at the start of the year - they were just coloured glass stones - but she told us a story when she gave them to us. She said that one of her previous students had kept in touch with her, and she was invited to his wedding. He still had the gemstone she had given him in grade seven. He had kept it the whole time, and said it reminded him of all his great memories from that class, and to always try his best no matter what he was doing. I loved that story, and I still have my gemstone as well. My teacher not only remembered me, but she gave me something that I would remember as well, and it was something that would serve as a reminder that I should always try hard to succeed, and to find a “gem” in everything.

WINNER in the Grade 9 to 12 Category:

Katie Hobbs, Grand River Collegiate

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” ~ William Arthur Ward. Over my years of schooling, I have experienced many good teachers, but very few have really stuck out as great teachers. This past semester I have had two teachers that have really inspired me. Both of these teachers have allowed me to well develop in each class (French and English) while developing a new appreciation for the subject. In the next few paragraphs, I hope to talk mostly about these two teachers as they are my definition of a great teacher.

To me, a great teacher should have great appreciation and love for the subject they are teaching. How do you expect a students to care about a course if the teacher doesn't even care about it? They should have zeal for the subject they are teaching. My French teacher for example, absolutely loves French and so, with her love of the language, she has inspired a renewed love for it in me that is causing me to continue on in French next year. The most inspiring teachers are those who enjoy the subject and promote students to do so as well. As a student, it’s much easier to do well in a subject if you care about the material being taught. On the learning side of things, a good teacher helps you to make connections from what you are learning, to the real world. They help you to apply it to your life in some way and expand on each important idea, possibly giving you background history or other interesting information about the topic. Again, I'm going to use my French teacher. When we were learning our last unit about monsters in French, we were doing a reading about Frankenstein. Instead of just reading the text with us and helping us with vocab, we had a conversation about movie making and technology in this time period. We talked about why many monster movies were created and she gave us a lot of background information on each topic. While this may not have helped some people in my class, for me it allowed me to be engaged in French class and be more interested in the unit. Truly great teachers also take the time to explain things very carefully. Some students in a class do not grasp things as fast as others, so with explaining these things, teachers allow everyone to have an in-depth knowledge of the topic at hand and promote better understanding of the topic. To me, anyone can just stand up in front of a class and spew facts off of a sheet of paper or teach something. However, in order for students to truly grasp what is being taught, great teachers are able to enforce communication and class discussions on the topic to enrich our grasp of it and to promote interest. In both my French and English class, we have class discussions daily about all sorts of things. In French it's the topic we are learning about and in English it is mostly about the book or movie we are analyzing. In order for students to understand what is being taught, I find that it us helpful to talk about it and have class discussions in order to get different viewpoints and a more detailed idea of what we are actually learning. Teachers who use things such as websites outside of the classroom (ex. Edmodo) help to allow students to delve deeper into the subject than just what they are taught in class. 

The most important thing for me in a teacher, is actually caring about their students, and not just their marks. Before I started high school, I couldn't really find a teacher who connected with their students on more than an academic level. When I started high school, that really changed for me. I like teachers who are a bit open with their lives. For example, my English teacher is completely open to whatever questions we want to ask him. While sometimes it’s not appropriate for teachers to talk about their lives in class, I feel that the more you know about a teacher, the more you feel like your connected with them and you can trust them. A teacher that talks to me outside of class, or even just to me during class, is a much more caring and devoted teacher to me than one that just teaches a lesson and doesn't really talk to their students. Talking with a teacher outside of class and being able to trust them makes you like that teacher. A teacher should care about their students. Kids have tons of problems, and even though they may not seems like problems to most adults, school and social lives and homework can put a lot of pressure on a kid. Some teachers don't realize that. Yes, we have to handle it, but a good teacher cares about how you're doing. It allows you to trust them. Honestly, if I ever had a problem, I would rather go to a teacher than some guidance counsellor. A teacher that is able to connect with a student on a larger level than just academic, is the best type of teacher to me. My French teacher for example, she knows my friend had a hard time with someone in our class, so she talked to her outside of class about it. My English teacher, he constantly applies hero’s journey to our lives. We have discussions about our goals and he makes us realize some of the hugest problems in today’s society that we were living our lives by before. He inspired me to no longer care what other people thought of me. Because of him I started writing stories again and aspire to be an author one day. In elementary school I had lost all of my enthusiasm toward reading, learning new words and writing. Things I had loved just years before. He helped me to rediscover my passion. With my French teacher, I didn't like French throughout some of my elementary years because my teachers weren't overall interested in the subject and they didn't connect with their students. Her love of French, has inspired a new love for French in me. She has inspired me to take French in grade 10 and maybe to go on to learn other new languages as well. From my experiences, when you like the teacher, when they are inspiring and engaging and when they promote a love for the subject in you, that’s the most efficient way for a student to learn. Having a class you love and teacher you love can really help you in a course as you are more engaged and enthralled about what you are learning. The most engaging teachers are the ones that can make the subject come alive, and who actually care about their students.

In closing, while I have talked much about specific experiences I have had, many of the things I talked about apply to many great teachers. I think that most students will agree with me when I say that in a few years, none of us are going to remember much of what we learned in each class. Most of us won't remember teachers that just taught us how to do each things, or told us each fact. When we look back on our years of schooling, it won't be the teachers that just taught a lesson that we look most fondly upon; but it will be the teachers that actually cared about us, the ones who inspired us and made us love the subject and love the class, that we will remember as being extraordinary teachers. 

RUNNER UP in t​he Grade 9 to 12 category:

Ab​ryna Bulford, Eastwood Collegiate

“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.” -C.S. Lewis

When you are put into this world, you have a certain amount of measurable talent, you have your strengths and your weaknesses. Along your path of discovery and growth you find new flowers to add to your bouquet of talents. After a while of accumulation, some people might have a large bouquet filled with exotic flowers of all shapes and colours. Others might have a large amount of lavender with small sprinkles of baby’s breath here and there. No matter how extensive your talents or how broad of a range your talents are, you can never reach your dreams without someone to guide you. This person should be thoughtful and intuitive, not everything has to be analyzed with logical knowledge. This person should also be encouraging and honest, they should know when to step in to assist, or to let their students fly free.

The first quote, by the Narnia Chronicle writer C.S. Lewis, talks about the student, as if they are a landscape. Their talents the various landforms and vegetation, their mood the weather. When a student is investing in a talent, when they nurture it and persist through the many crises, the soil of that talent becomes rich ad fertile. Soon that soil will become host to small seeds from other lands, and because the soil is so rich, those plants will soon grow into a forest, lush and full of life. Beautiful landscapes are born and healthy, sustainable talents are made. Unfortunately, with the extensive care of one talent, can lead to the negligence of another. Another land, dry and inhospitable becomes a dead talent that is long forgotten, plants never grow there, and it is soon forsaken. In a situation like this, a teacher should not prune and trim the flourishing forest to draw attention to the dying desert, not cut and bind the student’s talent to shove in a substitute. Instead, the teacher should see the student’s struggles, and flow their own passion and inspiration into the child, making the desert flow with creative life, soon bringing back the vegetation. A teacher should always improve upon the student, not restrict and bind the student from improvement and freedom.

The previous analogy is similar to the next quote. This quote, I think, is about how a teacher is not supposed to channel a student directly, not supposed to tell the student what he is supposed to do, but instead fuel the student at his liftoff, and watch him soar off on his own. Teaching is not about controlling, teaching is about aiding and believing. A teacher, above all else, must believe in his students. He must look into the eyes of his students and see potential in every single one. A teacher must have faith, and strength to help their students persevere through the difficult times, and when a student loses his way, to give a gentle nudge back on course.

A teacher must be true of heart and mind, and must truly believe in their students’ success, they must put all of their energy into nurturing that landscape and fueling that star, to improving every students’ life for the better.

WINNER in the "Everyone Else" Category:

Bev G​reen, Guelph

In grade 8 in 1972 all the girls had to take a class called Home Economics, which meant mainly we learned to cook and sew.  In my wise 13-year-old opinion, I already knew enough about those topics and I was so sure I would never fall into a traditional female role during my life, I didn’t see the need for the class.  So when Miss Ingemundson, my teacher for Home Ec, turned out to be someone different than I’d expected, I judged her harshly right from the start. She didn’t look, sound or behave like any housewife I knew.  I would snicker to my friends behind her back, making up ridiculous stories of her life.  I may have been able to follow a recipe in the kitchen and sew seams at the sewing machine but looking back, I can see I sure had a lot to learn about how to treat people.

The class went on throughout the year until one day, Miss Ingemundson asked me to step outside the classroom with her.  I didn’t know why and I started to feel very nervous.  Miss Ingemundson told me that day I had to improve my attitude or I’d be sent home from class.  I was stunned into silence.  Nothing like that had ever happened to me before, I was always a good student.  I was scared my classmates would find out but Miss Ingemundson never let on a thing when we returned to the classroom.  I was also worried she would tell my parents and then I’d really be in trouble; again, I was spared. I vowed to be nicer to Miss Ingemundson after that day, and I was.

What made Miss Ingemundson a great teacher?  For one, she tolerated me and gave me opportunities to discover for myself that I was out of line.  When I didn’t do that, Miss Ingemundson did not embarrass me in front of my friends and other classmates.  Instead she took me aside, allowing me to save face.  In her clear, direct and unwavering way, she calmly informed me that my behaviour was unacceptable, and she told me how to improve it.  There were no threats to call my parents or to visit the principal’s office; there was only the opportunity for me to make changes before the end of the school year.  What Miss Ingemundson taught me that year in Home Economics – patience, tolerance, respect, consideration, diplomacy, tact, and assertiveness – have become valuable life lessons.  That, I believe, is what makes a really great teacher.

RUNNER ​UP in the "Everyone Else" category:

Bailey Ja​cobs, University of Waterloo

A “great” teacher can be both made and created given that the fundamental passion to educate is in their soul. It is the passion to teach that will get this individual up in the morning and bring them to the lecture hall in the wee hours of the morning and it is the same inner drive that will keep them coming back day after day. The ability to dissolve the disconnect between professor and student, whilst still being an exceptional educator and maintaining the respect of their students, is what makes the difference between any educator and a great educator. Anyone can stand and lecture, and many can perform a good lecture but in the presence of a great educator the students will feel like they are there for a reason and are being held accountable for their success in the class.

The superiority complex is removed; a great educator views themselves at the same level as their students and addresses them by name as if they were a group of old friends. The use of jokes directed at individual students, personal anecdotes and stories are only a few of the ways a great educator keeps the mood light, while also letting the students see not just their outer shell but the person on the inside. Students will not only look forward to learning in the class of a great educator but they will become endeared and develop a great amount of respect for the professor. Lastly, as quoted from a recent conversation with a great educator, the professor will “walk out of the classroom more energized than they came in.”

                            More submissions!

We can only have one winner in each category! Nonetheless, the following entries are well worth reading! 

Kindergarten to Grade 4
 

Caiden Hillier

The teacher that I want to talk about is my mom. She is nice when she helps me with problems. I really like how we do novel studies on books that I like to read. She is very friendly, helpful, and gives good hugs.

Tori Clemens

I think what makes a great teacher would give everybody a fair chance or opportunity, what else would make a great teacher would be work that’s not too easy or too hard, involving kids in their work by asking if they enjoy the work their doing. They would always have a bright smile and be flexible with the schedule. The teacher would be very funny but serious when they have to. The teacher would care for the students and the classroom environment. They would get to know the students personally. They would be very intelligent and smart; they would give a good amount of homework. They would be extremely nice. There would be a class pet and there would lots of times to play with it. That is what I think a great teacher would be like!

Jessica D.

“What makes a teacher a really great teacher?” Hidden in those eight words are true feelings every kid has about the teachers they ever had. Some kids look for a kind, caring, helpful, and trustworthy kind of teacher. Others want a strict, give-a-lot-of-homework, and take control type. What I think would make a really great teacher combines all the past teachers I’ve ever had. From preschool to grade 4 each teacher had a different personality, but I think each was totally mind-blowing in their own way.

What I think every teacher needs to have is patience. Every child has their own pace, some are slower than others. The teacher needs to be able to help the student having problems. They may even stay after school to help this student. When the teacher stays after school (or in school) they must not get frustrated with the student and will continue to help him/her. I would like to have a teacher that is not too strict. A bit of laughter and jokes would make the cherry on top! They would also know how to calm down the class right away and to shush the talkative people in a kind way. The kids would know to respect this teacher. Also, I would like this teacher to put “fun” into “work”, so basically “funwork”. One of my teachers, Mrs. Shortt, really knows how to make “funwork”. She has this game called “Around the World”. She would give you and the person beside you a question and you would race to answer. The point of the game was to make it through all the people and end up back at your desk. In fact, she knows “funwork” too well (that is a good thing)! At the beginning of the new school year she gave us ydnac! Okay, I won’t use code. She gave us candy (don’t be jealous)! Each piece has a meaning, but the one my classmates can remember the most is: “Slow and steady wins the race!”

If I ever ended up with such a teacher I would be overjoyed. But, I think I already did! That extraordinary teacher is… Mrs. Shortt! Mrs. Shortt is my favourite teacher. She is my fourth grade teacher. She always helps my class. When our class works on math she would explain the lesson and then ask for questions. If we didn’t understand something we would raise our hand, she would call us and we would ask the question. Then she would explain it until everyone finally understood. Just because I think she is a magnificent teacher doesn’t mean everyone has to. All the teachers are unique and that’s what makes them them. But, I have to say everyone will agree with me on one thing: A teacher makes a really great teacher when they let a smile appear on every eager face!

Carol Raymond

A great teacher is a teacher that helps you to learn and makes it fun. They also make you feel good when you are around them and they help you to be more confident. They always encourage you to try. I am lucky as I have a great teacher.

Cavan Hillier

I think a really good teacher is kind and helps you with your work. Like she will tell you what to do when you are on a hard question. When we were learning about Medieval Times, we drew cool pictures of knights and castles. She picks books that we like to read like The Chronicles of Narnia. My teacher is my mom.

Alina Armbruster

Great teachers are the ones who work hard to be great! I think that they'd give you lots of opportunities, always be happy, but still a bit strict! Every teacher that wants to be great has to make work fun and not boring. He or she should provide a variety of subjects/projects each day, including some with partners. Being with the kids and helping them with their troubles will make the children feel cared for and listened to. A teacher should always be seeing his or her kids smiling; that way, they know that they're a great teacher!

One teacher I look up to is my swim coach, Brian. He likes to make funny little jokes sometimes and makes us work hard! He makes swim practices something to be excited about even if it's 1 1/2 hours in the water with an extra hour of dryland. Another teacher I admire is my piano teacher, Raymond. He has a good sense of humor and gives me opportunities to do things like Stratford Festival, KW Festival, and even quartets! I love how he asks me if I want a candy.

Mrs. Shortt and Mrs. Cohen are the teachers that have taught me the most! My home school teacher, Mrs. Shortt, always takes it a good bit farther in helping. For example, once I wasn't at school and the next day we had a math test, so that night Mrs. Shortt came to my house with my math book and went over the things I needed to study. Mrs. Shortt is always cheerful, but likes things to be perfect. My enrichment teacher Mrs. Cohen teaches me materials that go beyond the usual grade. She adds lots of fun projects that include both partnering up and working on my own. I always feel happy when I am around great teachers and I hope I will have more great teachers like these in my life.

Alyssa Rowe

I think a great teacher is one that lets you have fun in class and lets you talk. But also gets everyone to quiet down when it’s time to work, so people can actually think. I like ones that are funny, nice, let you work in groups, and enter awesome contests like this! Great teachers are also ones that are always enthusiastic. I have at least two teachers like this.

I don’t like teachers that are always strict, and make you sit up straight the whole time. I don’t like teachers that always send people to the office, are mean don’t let you talk, and don’t let you joke around.

The teachers I described in the top paragraph make great teachers. The teachers I described in the bottom paragraph make horrible teachers, at least to kids who agree with me.

Aidan R. Carmody

What Makes a Great Teacher?

All professors
Must have
Freedom & order
Zero repetition
Completely not disturbing
When asking a question
That makes sense
If people don’t understand
Explaining in a formal stile
Yet being entertaining,
Amusing, sensible, and kind
Most of all interesting

Chelsea Hillier

I think a really good teacher is my art teacher at the Homer Watson Art Gallery. She teaches me fun art and she reads books. She uses books to get ideas for our art. She explains things well.

David Gou

There are many teachers of school, but some are better than others. I think that good teachers at school shouldn’t assign too much homework, and I also think that they shouldn’t be strict. My enrichment teacher has a trait that I like -- she doesn’t apply pressure at presentations, so the presenter will feel more relaxed. My science teacher, Mr. Bezzo, is very humorous. This makes learning very amusing. Mlle. Danielles and Mrs. Cugliari are my main teachers, and they have patience. My music teacher Mme. Kazamzadeh is creative when planning assignments, and they are always a treat!

There are some people that are outside of school that are really good at teaching, too! In have a piano teacher. Her name is Joan and she is very musical. In hockey, my Head Coach is Coach Dave, which gives positive comments to people. When he is pointing out a problem, he doesn’t use names. In my opinion, my mother would probably be the most important. My friends say that I’m smart because that my mother teaches economics at WLU. I am frequently registered in to mathematic competitions, and my mother gives me hints and strategies.

In conclusion, you can see that I do not like strict teachers, and I like teachers that make creative, fun activities. What kind of teacher do you like?

Elai Mizrahi & Charlie Eagle

What we think makes a great teacher is when they aren’t strict. Also they are great when they are like friends to the kids and are nice. We really like a teacher who treats everyone equally. When teachers are enthusiastic it makes us feel good. Also you don’t want a too silly teacher, you would want a smart, but fun teacher. What would you think makes a great teacher???

Evelyne Jewitt-Dyck

What makes good teachers? (Diamante poem)

Teachers
Funny, Firm
Read, Write, Talk
Mrs. Wilson, Mrs. Hill, Mrs. Cohen, Mr. Purdie
Play, Sing, Dance
Kind, Cool
Professors

Matteo Giorgio

I think a great teacher is someone who is fun and makes jokes but at the same time can get the class quiet when they need to. They play games, have fun, but still have rules. I remember a teacher I had named Mlle. Holland Who made a lot of jokes during lessons which helped me remember the lesson. She was fun and always happy but still was strict when she had to be. I had her for two years and only once I saw her being sad. She taught me most of the things I know today. So, in my opinion that is what makes a great teacher.

Meghan Pletsch

I think that a really great teacher would allow their students to choose their own desk groups (within reason) and would give students who were struggling or overachieving a different format of learning the curriculum. They would make learning fun for students who found themselves bored in school by giving hilarious examples of or demonstrating what they were trying to explain. I also think that they should give candy to the students who were the best listeners at the end of each day.

A great teacher would have a class pet (or two) in the classroom, and would let the students play with it when they finished their work. They would be funny and kind, but strict if students misbehaved. They would have an organized classroom and an organized coat hook/locker system. If my teacher(s) were like this, I would enjoy the hours I spend in the classroom, instead of watching the clock. (Just kidding!) This is what I think the characteristics of a really great teacher would have.

Olivia Zurell

In my mind what makes a great teacher is being

 happy
 funny
 caring
 understanding
 smart 
 cool
 kind

 I think that is what makes a perfect teacher!

Sam Potzsch and Daniel Pan

We think that a great teacher is caring, kind, helpful, and has a sense of humour. Teachers that are caring have happy students that don’t whine or complain as much because they feel like they are being known and important. Teachers that are kind and helpful have students that are also kind, but the great thing is, (for us and the teacher) that that makes the kids want to learn and listen. The teachers that have a sense of humor make the class bright and the kids have fun. If YOUR teacher has all these attributes, then you have a GREAT teacher! (And a great class)!

       GRADES 5 to 8

           Grades 9 to 12
 

Lulu Zhang

Generally, good teachers share some common characteristics, such as patient, responsible, etc. However, I think a really GREAT teacher is the one who always encourages their students and influences them in a positive way.

When I entered Grade 11, I became worried about Social Studies 11, which would have a provincial exam in the end. Mr. Whitehead was my teacher at that time. He is serious in teaching, but his class was always engaging. As a student who only has interests in science, I began to feel that history was also interesting to some extent. Thus, I started to pay more effort on it. I gained confidence gradually because Mr. Whitehead was always encouraging me from time to time. I still remember the day before the provincial exam, I asked him several questions. When I was leaving, he looked me in the eye with determination, and said, “I'm absolutely sure you will do well in the exam tomorrow, and I have 100% confidence!” At that moment, I felt no more confident than ever. At last, I got over ninety percent on the provincial exam, which was out of my expectations. I feel very lucky that I had Mr. Whitehead as my teacher, who gave me a lot of encouragement throughout the year. Otherwise I will never know my potential in humanities.

Mr. Whitehead is a GREAT teacher in my opinion. I think a really GREAT teacher like him is the one who gives support to students. Maybe it’s only one or two sentences, but the power is enormous. It is able to make students feel better towards themselves, or even to keep their self-confidence for the rest of their lives. I was one of the benefited students. I hope in the future I can be a GREAT teacher who encourages and inspires students as well. I believe the most important principle is to tell the students, “Do not lower yourself.”

Madison Walters

What is the definition of a great teacher? Teachers express many qualities that make students have a stronger bond and can interact well with them. A good teacher has a good teaching style where each student agrees with how they teach. A teacher can be very descriptive and will make sure you know the material that was previously taught before moving on. This quality is very appealing to students and can lead to a better interaction between the teacher and the student. Equally, a good teacher is fair to all their students. They do not give any special treatment and know when to be strict and when to be fun. This can lead to a stronger bond because while being fun, you actually learn something. Furthermore, a good teacher is dedicated and supportive to their students. When teachers are dedicated to your learning and success in a class, it brings up the students hopes and expectations of themselves. If a student has something else going on in their life or is having a difficult time in a class, it is good to have a supportive teacher because your bond with the teacher becomes stronger and you know you can trust them. Every student wants to have a good experience in school, and having an exceptional teacher can change their opinions and thoughts about it.

Kathryn Daly

In every teacher there is something great about them and all of the teachers I have had have been great and had made me feel great as a student! My teachers have always made their students feel welcome and made the classroom more like a family, which is great!! They have also always made sure students feel comfortable in the classroom and if not, made them feel comfortable! I just love that because a student may be very scared about their classroom environment or may be bullied but all of the teachers I’ve had in the past have made them feel great and made them feel comfortable around their classmates. Great teachers also believe in their students and never put them down or speak negatively to their students!

Teachers sometimes just need to do one simple thing to make them a great teacher, like making the work in class fun but educational at the same time. When teachers let you re-write a test or exam which may be hard for them in some cases always seem like a better teacher because they obviously want you to do your best! Some simple acts teachers may do may make the future look brighter which every good teacher should do!

So in my opinion, great teachers are those who make their students feel wanted and needed in the classroom environment and also those who give their students a whole bunch of little things that will make the students future brighter even though they may need help along the way. 

Damien Blackmore

A lot of people have different opinions on what makes a teacher so great. I have heard things like “They help us stay on task”, “There fun to be around”, “They don’t assign homework”, and “They let us do whatever we want”. All of these things are different opinions, some I agree with while others, I don’t. The Main trait that sticks out to me for a “Great Teacher” is simple. They try just as hard as you do.

This is the most important trait (in my opinion) that makes a teacher so great. I find this trait important because it shows that if you are willing to learn then teachers are willing to teach. But if you aren’t willing to work hard at it, then how can you learn? Teachers are always working hard, but if they don’t have the same “level” as you do, then they cannot teach you as you should be taught. Perhaps you are more willing to learn than they are to teach, or vice-versa. But either way you must be at an equal level or neither of you will accomplish your goals. That being said, teachers must also be able to give you the little “push” you may need in order to become a successful learner.

One great teacher I had was a woman named Stephanie Cooney. She is a Core teacher at Sunnyside Public School. She was my favorite teacher because she adapted to each and every single one of us to our level of learning and absorbing information. She was strict when required and relaxed and calm all the other time. She is, in my opinion, a great role model of a teacher. She taught me far better than any other teacher I have ever had. She carried every single attribute that students only imagine.

Donovan Wenzla​wsk

Melissa Wiseman

I believe the workings of a teacher solely depend on how they were taught as a student. Some of the teachers that I feel have had the biggest and best educational impacts on their students were the teachers who seemed to understand them. They seem to get that high school is hard, schooling is hard. We are put under stress and some people can’t handle it as well as others. I believe the teachers who understand this are able to connect with their students easier than the teachers that think we should be 100% able to handle the workload.

Throughout my school career, I have had bad teachers, and I have had excellent teachers. As an example, my 9^th grade Drama teacher really connected with us, she knew we didn't want to have book-work thrown at us, so she made everything more hands on. She understood that sometimes, we want to goof off and be a little weird. But one thing she always said will stay with me forever, she said “In the future, you won’t remember all the seat work you do, you won’t remember your teacher’s names, but there’s one thing you will remember, and that’s how that teacher made you feel.”

When you really think about it, teachers have such an impact in our lives, we see them, almost every day for at least 14 years, the way they treat us, and the way they make us feel, that will have a reflection on how we treat not only others, but how we treat ourselves in the future. What makes a good teacher isn't about how much they teach us, it’s how they make us feel, if you have a teacher that makes you happy, you’ll be more open to what they have to say and to teach you. Maybe instead of putting into student’s heads that they have to learn this, or have to learn that, they should be taught not only what they need to succeed, but how to be happy in the process, because now-a-days, happiness isn't what it should be.

Chelse​a Marie Rochefort

Think back to a teacher that you absolutely adored, the tiny little things like if they were funny, nice, and understanding. In grade 7 I had a teacher named Mrs. Juhas who was really funny, one student who was a trouble maker and he never did his work. When wouldn't do his work she would hug him, it was the funniest thing I had ever seen. Mrs. Juhas was such a nice teacher, whenever you would walk into the class she would great you with a very friendly and warming, smile and hello. One time I missed lots of school and she helped me catch up by using her lunch breaks to help me at recess. One time I had made a mess with paint and I thought she was going to get super mad at me, but she was nice about it, she told me to clean it up and get back to class.

Cam Marquette

A really good teacher is when the teacher(s) get extremely into teaching the class and the make everything dramatic or fun. What else I think makes a great teacher is when the teacher is very student friendly and actually talk to the students and make connections with them.

Emily Hunt

Great teachers are very rare in this time and age. They are very hard to find, and when you do. Students will remember them. These great teachers come with certain traits. These traits may include Caring, Friendly, trustworthy, inspiring, always available, a person you can look up to. These are just a few.

The reason why students seem to have gained knowledge from them is because they can relate to the subject they are learning. For example, when an English teacher is teaching a lesson on short stores and they relate the short stories to a teen issue, that way the students can relate and be intrigued. Another trait that teachers have is connecting with students on a more personal level. By creating a relationship that has mutual respect for each other. This way, the student will have more trust with the teacher and therefore trying their absolute best.

Another trait would be always giving the students every opportunity to succeed to their fullest potential. Teachers can do this be giving the students chances to re-write test or quizzes to bring up their mark. These teachers are very valuable and are great people and should always be in the schools available for the students to utilize and learn. 

Kate Short

There are many different things that make a teacher a good one and for every person and learning style a specific individual possesses, those characteristics change. Some of the attributes I find most impactful for a teacher to have would be: a teacher who treats their students with respect and kindness, a teacher who intellectually challenges students to increase their knowledge, one who teaches in a way that caters to every (or a broad range) of learning styles, and to me the most important characteristic of a good teacher, is one who pushes their students outside of their comfort zones to enrich their learning.

In my opinion, it’s very important to have a teacher who treats their students with kindness and respect. My reason for this would be that if these courtesies are given from a teacher to their student the respect will be mutual, where if annoyance and disrespect are given by a teacher to a class that will be reciprocated by their students. I also think it’s important to intellectually challenge students as a teacher, and supply moderately difficult tasks and assignments to increase knowledge. While doing all of these things, I find it (from past experience) very helpful if a teacher teaches to their demographic. Since every student has a different preferred way to learn, it’s important to involve as many different methods of teaching as possible to produce the best results from a student. The last characteristic that makes a teacher great at what they do would be pushing students out of their comfort zones.

From grade six to eight I was in an intellectually enriched program. For two years this program was facilitated at Elizabeth Zeigler Public School while the remaining two were held at Courtland Senior Public School. Every single day we were piled with expediential amounts of work, including presentations, essays, independent study projects, and tests. Not only this, but throughout the last two years of the program, we had to do many varying kinds of spoken word performances in front of the class. Comedic monologues, rants and beat poetry pieces, would be a few examples of the types of text we had to not only create, but perform. Every month doing these assignments would become more and more stressful. Despite that fact that I greatly disliked this arranged and formatted type of public speaking, looking back on the assignments they seemed to have helped me greatly in developing not only my writing skills but my speech and presentation skills. Although I very much dislike the idea of being out of my comfort zone, I believe the most important characteristic to have in a teacher is one who constantly pushes their students because in my experience-the best ideas, thoughts, and motivations occur in discomfort.

Kassandra Gorasso

What makes a good teacher isn't based on what they teach, but how they do it. Being a Grade 11 student, I have had quite the handful of teachers over the years. The ones that tend to stick out to me were the ones who weren't teachers per se, but did teach me valuable things to apply to my daily life. These are some things that make a good teacher.

Patience, passion, humour and a caring heart. These are some of the traits I admire in a teacher. When a teacher will help you one-on-one it gives you a feeling of; 'maybe they do want to help me.' It's one of the best feelings because it's nice to know they'll give you the time of day.

Secondly, passion. When you can look at a teacher and see their interest in education radiating off of them; it almost gives you a sense of security in their classroom. To know they're not there just for the pay-check or because they feel they have to, to make someone proud of them. But, to know that they actually thrive in a student’s success and understanding of a concept. That is an amazing feeling.

Humour is something everyone in life needs, we also all need someone to show they care. Having a connection with someone older who can say "been there, done that" and really relate to you is one of the best feelings. In my opinion, when a teacher knows me on a personal level it makes me want to hug them. It's nice knowing they have an interest in not just you as a student, but you as a person. That is what makes a good teacher.

Cassie Zurbrigg

The actual sense of trying to define a “really great teacher” is an incredibly hard thing to do. There are so many different factors to think about when even deciphering the meaning of learning. If we were just talking about school teachers I’d say that as long as you are critical while still showing you care about your students’ well-being that is what would make a great teacher, humorous yet not lacking knowledge. But the term teacher is not and cannot be just restricted to the boundaries of school walls.

In your early years you don’t go to school learn how to use a fork or how to wipe your… nose. Those skills come from your parents or guardians. From the beginning of each and everyone’s life it is not “teachers” who teach you things. It is not the status of being a “teacher” that allows you to be able to teach well. It is having the passion to make a difference in someone that allows one to be a really great teacher.

Without a passion to make a difference there is no way coaches could create great teams, for parents to have trust worthy children, or for the passer by on the street, who asks you how your day was, to enlighten you to ask the same of others. So you see teaching is not the always just the work, critique, improve motto that most “school teachers” use but it is the plain and simple action of caring whether you want to have an impact on others or not.

Betelihem Haile

Funny, honest, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. These were some of the qualities that made Mr. Bier one of my greatest and favorite teachers. Among other things, Mr. Bier is an eleventh grade computer teacher and an economics teacher in Eastwood collegiate. There are some definite qualities that make Mr. Bier, and other teachers worldwide, some of the greatest teachers.

Students often look up to their teachers as figures of authority, therefore; it is a teacher’s obligation to guide his students and create a sense of community and belonging in his classroom. He/she must be open to different types of people and often embolden the students to freely express their opinions within the class. He/she should also encourage his students to participate in all class and school activities, no matter how trivial the projects seem. By carrying out the previous points, he/she will be able to inculcate confidence and a sense of responsibility into his/her students.

Great teachers, not only help students learn certain subjects, but they do more than that. They help them gain invaluable life lessons, like grit and perseverance, which will help the students to become independent and ardent out in the real word. Passion is also essential to all good teaching, in a way that a teacher’s passion for teaching is a motivational factor from the students’ perspective. A student will endeavor to do his/her best at a certain subject, only when he can see the amount of enthusiasm and attention a teacher is contributing to his classes. Lastly, a great teacher will first state a fact as a starting point, encourage his students to ask the “Why” and “How” questions and to look at the situation in all different ways possible before making a decision or conclusion. These lessons will, without a doubt, prove to be advantageous to a student throughout his/her life. In other words, a great teacher is not one that merely states or explains facts, but one that inspires his students.

Samantha Vernon

When asked what makes a good teacher, I immediately think of my third grade teacher, Mr. Johnson. The way he taught made all the difference in the world, and that made him a great teacher. The classroom was interactive, everything was very personal; each of us felt important. A bit of fun was incorporated into the work, keeping the students interested and engaged. He taught with enthusiasm, and a want to teach; going out of his way to get to know all of us, which created a connection between the student, teacher, and what he was teaching us. The little bit of patience he used to help us understand the lesson went a long way, and left us wanting to expand our knowledge ever further. Mr. Johnson was always organized, giving us checklists of work to be completed by the end of the week, and once everything was done, you would get a small reward and continue learning. In short, a great teacher is one who loves to teach his/her students, one who wants them to learn, and makes them want to learn themselves.

Shelby Baker

Being a really great teacher isn’t just about how smart and knowledgeable they are. Yes those things are important too but my idea of a great teacher is one who is enthusiastic and interesting, who gives their students choices, and one who genuinely cares about each and every one of their students. If a teacher is enthusiastic about what they are teaching then I will more than likely also be enthusiastic about it and actually enjoy what I’m learning because it will seem more fun. When the teacher makes the lessons interesting rather than boring, I will pay attention and actually take in all the information being taught.

I also find it very important when teachers give their students choices and different options for projects and assignments. Every student is different and they all have different personalities and learn differently. If a teacher gives you different options for your assignment you can choose which one you prefer and that way you won’t be pushed out of your comfort zone. A caring teacher is what I find the most important quality. I really appreciate a teacher that puts their time and effort into every student and shows how much they care about them. Teachers that help you with your struggles and make sure you are trying your best to pass the course are very important to me.

In conclusion, a well-balanced teacher who is enthusiastic, who gives options to assignments, and who genuinely cares about their students is in my opinion, a great teacher.

Brooklyn Jankowski

Anyone can be a teacher, even a great teacher, but it takes more than that to be an inspirational, influential and memorable teacher.

To be an influential teacher, one has to be passionate about what they teach, dedicated to what they preach, and inspired by those who learn.

To be an inspirational teacher, one has to be proud of what they teach, confident in what they preach, and enlightened by those who learn.

To be a memorable teacher, one must be unforgettable in the methods they teach, engaging in what they preach, and motivated by those who learn.

What makes an influential, inspirational, and memorable teacher? Someone who is educated every day in every way by their students.

Tyler ​Gofton

What makes a good teacher? A teacher that cares and are there to help you. Someone who doesn’t set you up for failure. They are there to answer your questions and help you to be a better student. A teacher that who communicates with the students’ parents about marks and class behavior. Great teachers engage students and make the subject they are teaching more interesting. Teachers that set high expectations for their class are good teachers and don’t give up on the under achievers. Teachers that do a lot of talking sometimes just make the students bored but teachers that get to the point and give tips and tricks to remember things are good teacher. Be available for extra help during school and after school. When giving out homework don’t go overboard or students won’t complete it. Be flexible on assignments if there is a pattern in not completing assignments then call home. When talking with students give eye contact and speak clearly and somewhat loud just don’t be shy in front of your class. I think that all these points are examples of good teachers.

Keira Ca​verley

What makes a really great teacher? Before we get to that, we need to establish what a teacher is. A teacher can be a college or university professor, an extracurricular teacher, your parents, grandparents, your older siblings, younger siblings, or anybody for that matter. As long as you can learn something from them, they can be a teacher. They can teach you how to knit, or how to play the piano, or the distributive property, or that it is okay to fail. Anyone can educate, but can they inspire?

That’s right, I brought out the i-word. To be a great teacher, you need to inspire. Make your students know that it is okay to fail, you just need to get back up again. You need to understand who you are educating. Know their strengths; know their weaknesses. It may even help to know their quirks. Your focus needs to be on not only how you will be able to teach your student in a way that they will understand, but how you will inspire them. Whether you are teaching them a new recipe, how to play an instrument, or how to calculate the hypotenuse of a right-angle triangle, make sure your students feel comfortable, safe, and find what they are learning at least a little bit interesting. Inspire them.

Alyssa Macdonald

When I think of a "good" teacher, I think of someone who is kind, caring, passionate about their job, and has a lot of patience. It also helps if a teacher has a sense of humor and is friendly, that way things won't be so dull or have a negative environment. Two of my past teachers come to mind when I think about this type of teacher, Mrs. Langford Berry (whom we all call LB) and Mme. Marskell.

They are two of the most hardworking teachers at Westheights in my opinion. LB not only teaches most of the school music, but she also teaches three bands, choir, and around five different ensembles. Before Mme. Marskell retired last year, she ran Italian, and drama club for both grades. Both women played major parts in organizing school concerts. Every year LB takes the choir and band to perform in Canada's Wonderland. She has more energy than two classes combined, which makes things interesting. She also makes learning fun and memorable by creating little rhymes and has an upbeat way of teaching. French class was never my favorite class but Mme. Marskell was always friendly, and often asked how you were doing. She was close to one of my friends when she was going through things, and I'm thankful for that. Both teachers had very bright, bubbly personalities and could make you laugh throughout classes. Overall, I believe a good teacher possess many traits that can contribute to good teaching, and a good learning experience for students. Personality, being kind, caring, patient, and compassionate are all characteristics that come together to make this happen.

Dorothy Tismanar

There are many things that makes a teacher a good teacher it’s different for everyone. We each all have a different expectation that will make a teacher a good teacher. First to say I believe that having a good teacher helps you learn better. In order to have or call a teacher a good teacher they need to be funny, caring, respectful, and helps you until you get it also a person you trust.

If a teacher is funny it just makes you enjoy him/her more you will look forward to class because it will be fun. Having a teacher who is jokeful and funny usually will brighten up your day having a funny teacher is just not the same as just any teacher. This is probably the best thing to have in a teacher. A good teacher is to have a caring and respectful one this is the most important because you don't want a rude and mean teacher you don’t learn anything if you don't enjoy the teacher at all. If the teacher is rude and disrespectful they are usually bad at teaching because they show they don't care about the students.

A teacher who teaches you something until you know it is a good teacher that what they are supposed to do teach you and if they teach you but don't actually teach you then there’s no way you learn. One thing that is good to have in a teacher is to trust them. It’s always good to have a teacher that you can talk to also if you trust your teacher it will make you comfortable with the teacher meaning you can learn and ask her anything makes you have a good connection. There are many things that make teachers good and these are some practically no good teacher no good marks and no enjoying school. If you have a good teacher you enjoy it and will do better.

Sara ​Weber

A great teacher I had was my U14 water polo coach. He taught me many skills and techniques I still use today. He also went the extra mile to make everyone’s experience great. He even took our team to Denmark for a tournament. I think an important trait in a teacher is having a passion to teach. This is important because without anything to motivate someone, they will not go the extra mile to help enhance the student’s experience. My coach was always trying to make practices and tournaments fun. He was willing to volunteer his time to help us learn the game we love. I think his love of the sport, and willingness to teach us, is what made him so great. Another great thing about him was everybody respected him. He wanted everyone to have fun but also knew when we needed to stop goofing off and get to work. This is important because kids will try hard to get a teacher off task, but if they respect someone they usually don’t mind doing the work. My coach was a great person who taught me a lot about water polo in a fun way. Without good coaches and teachers like my U14 coach to guide me, I don’t know if I would be the person I am now.

Stefan S​avija

The teacher that I admire or have learned from my past years and now going years is my piano teacher. Some characteristics that I admire are discipline, patience, and laughter. The main focus why I chose my piano teacher than my other teachers because she wouldn’t only care about marks but she would mostly care about my learning skills and if I failed she would always drive me to improve unlike my other teachers. Here are some points why I chose my piano teacher to be my favourite teacher.

My first reason why I chose her is when I clutter she wouldn’t correct me, but she would just wait patiently until I solved my own problem or contributed a significant amount of effort. Some mistakes took me 10 minutes to solve and some 2 minutes. For example I forget to play a key note in music. She wouldn’t bother to tell me that I slightly messed up on my rhythm or pitch if I didn’t even demonstrate enough effort. Another great thing about my piano teacher is that she doesn’t allow me to procrastinate and if I do procrastinate I get a dreadful punishment like playing the exact same song over and over again for 30 minutes. The reason why she takes procrastinating very seriously is because this could create life habits that will affect me through life and throughout my school life. My final reason why I chose my piano teacher as my favourite teacher is because she believes that every man and woman in this world have the skill in being successful if they desire to. Personally I think that the message that my piano teacher is trying to deliver is that the only way you can become successful is to discipline yourself and to use your potential. An example that I have learned from discipline is when I poorly do on a test or assignments I go back to review the questions that I have unfortunately done badly on.

At the beginning I thought I didn’t have the potential to be successful in piano, by being well guided by my teacher I realized that my potential in piano is greater than before. After learning how hardworking an important life skill is I started to complete my assignments on time not just in music but in school also. Unfortunately most teachers that are only laid back will eventually affect you negatively in the long run.

Meghan Kr​aemer

A teacher should be someone who you can talk to, trust, or just someone to just listen to you speak. My Food and Nutrition teacher, Ms. Campbell, is one of those teachers. Although most teachers are taken for granted, and never fully understood, or have had their point of view, they truly deserve it. Ms. Campbell knows when to have fun, she’ll do special baking activities, just for our class, and she’ll even let us work in groups collaboratively, provided we stay on task. When a question is asked she knows how to answer it, and sometimes relate to it. But if the students step out of line, or get too carried away, she knows when to step up and take charge! Some times (mostly) students try to take advantage of their teachers, but fortunately, that doesn’t always work. But if we make a mistake, all is forgiven, and we’re given a second chance. And hopefully, those students will take the second chance and learn from their mistake, after all, I try to! So I think that Ms. Campbell is a prime example of this, and she should be admired for her hard work. After all, she drives from Paris, Ontario every morning to Kitchener, just to get to work!

Lidia Shibr​e

Like most of people my age, I spent more than half of my life learning in and out of school. Throughout my journey, there is one teacher who really sticks out for me from all the others. This teacher is very understanding and tries to make everybody feel welcomed in his classroom. He understands that everybody can’t go in front of the whole class and do a presentation so instead he’d give group discussions and assignments. It might be difficult to give examples everyone could understand depending on the subject matter, but this teacher manages to give good examples in a way everybody can relate to. The fact that he has so much knowledge and is passionate about what he teaches makes students interested and eager to learn more.

The teacher also has other qualities that make students trust him. He was available for any other discussions other than the subject he teaches. He was open to anybody who wanted to talk to him in and out of class. He gives time to get to know each individual student so that it makes it easier for him to communicate and teach them. Above all, this teacher passes important life lessons to his students which are useful in everyday life.

Abiga​yle Horton

What makes a good teacher? To me, a teacher isn't always someone who teaches at a school or even has a teacher’s degree. To me a teacher is someone who can change the way you think about something and can help you to understand things that you never thought you could. I believe that everyone learns a different way. My definition of a great teacher could be completely different from other students, but when I look back at some of the best teachers I have had so far in my education, a few traits seem to recur.

The traits that I noticed were that each of the teachers allowed their students to learn the way they felt most comfortable. They let us hate certain subjects and love other ones, take the time we needed to fully understand things and always let us form our own opinions about the subjects we learned, and each topic being discussed was always open for debate and discussion. The trait that I find the most important is that they believed in us. Those great teachers never accepted anything less they our full potential. Whether they would sit down and explain the simplest of problems until we understood, or even chase us down the hallway to make sure we put an effort into our work.

I hope that every one of my great teachers understand just how valued they are by their students. Although I think that the world could use a lot more amazing, and inspiring teachers that can help and bring curiosity to their students, I also believe that those teachers that stood out to me, helped to make me a better student and gave me the tools I needed to love learning.

Bethany M​orell

The best teachers I've had weren't exactly my favourite, the teachers I've had that were rumored to be really strict and mean turned out to have a really good impact on my marks. The characteristics of a good teacher are that they love what they do and their strict.

You can tell when a teacher actually likes what they do and doesn't do it for the pay check, they’ll be happy to explain something to you in a way you understand it, and they take the time to make sure everyone in the class is on the same page and knows what they’re doing. My French teacher would write a note on the board but not let anyone copy it down until she was finished explaining her lesson, i think this is extremely smart because when you’re copying a note you never listen to the teacher because you’re focused on getting the note down. This is a perfect example of a good teacher because she’s taking the time to explain her lesson and making sure everyone knows what they’re doing. When a teacher loves what they do and tries to make their lesson interesting the students will enjoy going to their class and learning their lessons. In short, a good teacher actually cares if one of their students is falling behind or isn't understanding the unit, and will try to the best of their ability to help that student.

Everyone’s favourite teacher is the one that lets the class watch movies all the time or doesn't care if you’re on your phones but as fun as those classes can be, you’re not learning anything and that’s not what a teacher gets paid to do. A strict teacher, though they may not be admired among the students, will see better marks because students tend to take more initiative in completing their work and projects to please the strict teacher. No student tries to get on the strict teachers bad side, therefore the students will try harder depending on how easy going their teacher is.

Basically teachers that love to teach and actually care about how their students do in the classes make great teachers.

Laura S​ylvestre

In my opinion Some Characteristics of a good teacher would be a teacher who is well prepared, organized and ready to teach, also another characteristic of a good teacher would be someone who respects his/her students, and also a good teacher would be someone who understands what they are teaching and they help you to understand a better meaning of what they are teaching wants to understand you and your learning skills to help better your future.

A good teacher can have many great characteristics that make them great, but there is a few that in my opinion stand out the most. First of all, there’s nothing better than a teacher who has respect for his/her students. Teachers expect students to be respectful to them as students should also have respect for their teachers at all times as well. This isn’t always easy, but teacher must/should always handle interactions with students in a positive manner. Secondly, another characteristic that makes a great teacher is someone who understands or at least tries to understand you and your work to benefit you in the future or just general. A good teacher understands you and your writing and always tries to get you to strive to do your very best, nothing less. Lastly, a great teacher understands what they teach and knows how to explain that content in a manner that their students understand. There are teachers who do not know the content well enough to effectively teach it. A good teacher both understands the content and explains it on level. This can be a difficult skill to accomplish, but the teachers who can, maximize their effectiveness as a teacher.

In conclusion, a great teacher can have a lot of qualities that make them great, these were just a few that stuck out most to me and what in my opinion I think a great teacher is. It is important for you to like your teacher or thinks that they are great because you stuck with them for a year so you would probably hope to like them or that they are great.

Ehtoo ​Htoo

In my opinion, a really great teacher should be a good explainer. They should talk more and gives example as they teach or else it would not be very interesting to learn. For example, if one of your teachers is teaching and did not talk or use any example and only read the information, it would not be interesting to learn. But, if they talk while reading and gives example as they talk, you would feel like you are learning something and be more interesting about what they are saying. Also, teachers should use body language and maybe show pictures or using technology, just so you can understands more.

Another reason for what makes a teacher a really great teacher would be, helping you learn more. They could check on you when you are working, to make sure you are on track of what you are doing. They also answer question you asked. But, not everything you asked is going to be answered, but they should try answering as many and best as they can. Additionally, you can get an extra help from them. They should be able to help you after school or before school started, just in case you need more help or if you want to learn more.

Lastly, a really teacher should care for their students. They should be someone that opens up about the problems that their students are having. They would try talking to students and maybe even help them out when their students are having hard time dealing with issue. Finally, it should be someone that you feel like you can trust them. They should make you feel safe when you are telling them something private. All in all, I think these are the things that make a teacher a really great teacher.

Cassie Zurbrigg

The actual sense of trying to define a “really great teacher” is an incredibly hard thing to do. There are so many different factors to think about when even deciphering the meaning of learning. If we were just talking about school teachers I’d say that as long as you are critical while still showing you care about your students’ well-being that is what would make a great teacher, humorous yet not lacking knowledge. But the term teacher is not and cannot be just restricted to the boundaries of school walls.

In your early years you don’t go to school learn how to use a fork or how to wipe your… nose. Those skills come from your parents or guardians. From the beginning of each and everyone’s life it is not “teachers” who teach you things. It is not the status of being a “teacher” that allows you to be able to teach well. It is having the passion to make a difference in someone that allows one to be a really great teacher.

Without a passion to make a difference there is no way coaches could create great teams, for parents to have trust worthy children, or for the passer by on the street, who asks you how your day was, to enlighten you to ask the same of others. So you see teaching is not the always just the work, critique, improve motto that most “school teachers” use but it is the plain and simple action of caring whether you want to have an impact on others or not.

Martha Helmers

What makes a good teacher? Everyone is a teacher; coaches, peers and parents. Being a teacher is not just something that you can accomplish through many years of teachers college, it is not just a degree or diploma on a wall that matters. Being a good teacher is being motivational to others, having a good foundation and knowledge to what you are teaching, and to be able to teach a subject or sport with enthusiasm that intrigues others. Each individual learns at a different pace and has different learning techniques, and good teacher should be able to recognize these differences and motivate each student differently. For myself I am only able to push myself one step further if I am continuously being told that I can achieve my goal. If someone is telling me this, it shows me that they care about my goals and want me to achieve them as much as I want to achieve them.

A good teacher has enough knowledge to be able to educate others, and with knowledge comes understanding of the material they are teaching. Good techniques to teaching are demonstration and explanation. Providing knowledge is one thing, but it is another to be able to help others to understand what you are teaching. Using demonstrations and explanations gives every kind of mind a chance to understand what they are learning. The only way to capture an audience, is to make presentation interesting through being enthusiastic and encouraging. A teacher should translate to others that they love what they are teaching and this motivates one to succeed.

Cynthia McLeson

The first day I walked into my math class, I was completely and utterly terrified. I have never been the best at math and I didn't know what to expect. When the teacher walked in the classroom, the first thing she did was ask us about our day. I found out quickly that I was not the only person who was nervous, but as the conversation went on, I became somewhat less tense than before. She talked to us about the course and what to expect over the next few months. She said we would be starting out with a review unit of last year. Then we are told us to take out lined paper to begin the lesson. At the end of class, she turned to us and told us a story. When my math teacher was young, she wasn't great at math either. Every night, she would come home and cry about her math homework. However, she went in for help all the time and was able to overcome not being able to understand. She told us that there is no shame in coming in for help, that if we knew everything about what she was teaching we wouldn't be taking this class. Every class after that, we found out quickly that the work we got was very different than the work we got in grade 8. It was also harder than in past years. I decided to take her advice and go in for help. I went to room 324 for math help. I, sadly, did not finish the course with top grades. But I know if I didn't take her advice about going in for extra help, I would have probably failed the course. However, because I took her advice, I passed the course with a 71% grade average, which is way better than the mark I thought I was going to get.

I have had so many different math teachers over the years, some of them were pretty good, and some of them were awful. Year after year, the different methods of teaching all seemed to blend together. Teachers looking over your shoulder, praising every little thing you did. It not only made kids lazy, but also gave them high expectations about themselves that were unrealistic. Year after year, I cruised through school, passing everything, and when people said that high school was going to be difficult, I didn’t take them too seriously. They said they were preparing us for high school, and the work didn’t seem hard at all. I was in for a shock. Last year, my teacher said this work is similar to this year’s and that it was going to be a bit more challenging, but I didn’t take it as serious as I should have. The other half of the teachers basically said that high school was going to be a nightmare. Teachers would talk at lightning speed while we are forced to write down everything they were saying, and every night we would be drowning in homework. I honesty did not know what to expect when I walked through the door, and it made me extremely nervous to even be in the class. Of course, as it turned out, many of my teachers were wrong. We got homework, but not as much as we thought, and the work is similar, but it was harder than it seemed.

This teacher however was different. She did not over praise us on every little thing we did. She was not the least bit evil, and she did not give out unreasonable amounts of homework. Instead, she gave us what we actually needed to succeed. She did everything in her power to help us survive her class. She gave extra help, she met after and before school with students, she was flexible, taking in factors that may affect our learning and helping us overcome them. But that’s not why she was special. She did something no other teacher has done before. Most of my teachers in the past, it seemed, judged kids based on their grades. The people with the lowest grades were the ones that never work hard enough. The kids with the high grades were the only kids deemed “good students”. It is the worst thing that teachers could do. The good students got praise on top of praise, while the bad students were never motivated enough in the beginning to do their best. This teacher did not do this. This is what made her special. She judged us not based on grades, but on our potential. She believed that every student had the potential to be top of her class. When students like me weren’t doing well, she motivated us. She did not over motivate us, and she did not completely ignore us either. She did not give out pity grades; she marked them honestly, showing us the steps we need to take to get to the top. She treated us all equally in the classroom. All students could be successful, so there was no good and bad student. She saw the potential in all of us to be great, she encouraged us to do our best, to seek help when needed, and that there is no shame in not understanding. When I walked into class that very first day of school, I was terrified of being the worst in class. But now I know that we all have the potential to be great, and if we wanted it bad enough, we would be great. Thank you Ms. Cressmen, for believing in us, showing us that the sky is the limit!

Blen Alemu

In eighth grade, my English teacher told me to challenge myself more. I always loved that she made me feel like I can do everything. She always tells me that I was a very responsible and an independent student. At the moment, that really motivated me and it made me want to work really hard.

My grade eight English teacher was my favorite because she had enthusiasm, love and respect for both students and subject. She was very patient and caring. She always talks to me outside of class because she knows that I am not the type of person who likes to talk in public. And also she is very understandable.

Additionally, a teacher needs to explore different ways of teaching. Teachers can show their fun side to the students and therefore bringing about more comfortable and relaxing teaching environments. By encouraging a student in a non-serve way will motivate them to improve, and prevent them from having teacher-fear.

In conclusion, I would like u to be patient, caring and understandable. Since I speak English as my second language, if I by any chance hand in any assignment late, it would be much appreciated if you have me some time. I would try my best to hand in my assignments on time.

Adam Elgie-Haines

Well, to answer that question one would have the need to define what a good teacher is. The answer I have come up with is rather simple: good teachers have the ability to teach. Now, the ability to teach someone can come in many forms, because all students learn differently. I learn by seeing and touching; experiencing.

I remember a teacher I once had, he would teach my peers and I by showing us what we had to do and how to do it and asked us to practice the skill he had taught. What I remember the most about him though, is that he would teach us to come to conclusions by ourselves, and taught us to form our own thoughts and ideas. This is what makes a good teacher in my eyes, and he is the perfect example. However, this is not the case for some of my other peers and friends in that class. Others were struggling and it was obvious. He considered this, and eventually made each of us do a test in which we discover the unique way we learn. After calculating the results, he began having more one-on-ones with other students who did not learn the same way as how he taught. Therefore, as previously mentioned, because each of us learned differently, he was able to adapt rather quickly and helped other kids understand the concepts. This is what makes a good teacher: adaptability in their ability to teach so that others may learn.

Kaylie Kraemer

The question is what helps us learn? Or more-so WHO helps us learn? Every day we walk in this world thinking we know everything, when in reality we do not. Our teachers in this world are not only from our schools, but they are also our friends and family as well. “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops”.-Henry Adams Therefore meaning if a person can influence you in such a way that you will never forget, then he/she is a teacher at heart.

The difference between a “good teacher” and a “great teacher” is not success of the teacher, but the success of the student. A “good teacher” teaches the student to the fullest of understanding they can. A “great teacher” strives towards the students goals, so that they not only understand what they are learning, but there goals in life are completed. No teacher is perfect, but if a teacher has the ambition to teach her students then they is no need for perfection. Teachers are the people who create success in our world, and our world is filled with success every day.

 A teacher has kindness, gentleness, passion, caring and the ambition to teach others, and to learn new things every day. Teachers are able to influence others, giving others the passion to learn and to teach others in such a way that they can bring a new meaning to learning, and teaching. All in all, a Great teacher has many qualities, all in which help, and teach new things to those who wish to be taught. A Great teacher does not have to work at a school, a teacher can be anyone, or anything, for a teacher is a person who has the power to teach, and to influence others.

Michael Kienitz

I think a great teacher is a teacher that connects with their students and understands their strengths and where they have difficulty in their work. I also think a great teacher would take time to help a student achieve their goals in the subject; another characteristic would be a teacher that makes the subject fun for students that don’t enjoy the subject and makes the classroom a safe learning environment. A teacher should also treat their students equally and doesn’t discriminate, they should also be strict about due dates and have experience with talking to their students. In conclusion these are the qualities I think a great teacher should have.

Ella Latta Suazo

I have had many good teachers. I’ve also had some excellent teachers. Mme. Billone (my grade 7-8 french teacher), Mr. Burnley (my grade 7-8 principal), Mr. Lidbetter (my grade 7-8 gym teacher) and Mrs. DJ (the Grand Philharmonic Children’s Choir conductor) stand out the most to me. Each has done something small for me in a huge way. Be it to strengthen my volleyball skills, actually make french awesome (as my previous teachers were not the best), or even just be fun, caring and mentors to the people around them.

All of these teachers have three things in common. The first is that they are passionate and love what they teach. Their enthusiasm rubbed off on the students, or well, rubbed off on me, so I was excited about their classes. The second being that they know how to connect with everyone and know how to handle a tricky class, which I know can be difficult and a badly behaved class is no fun for those who want to learn. They each are friends with the students first, and are the teacher second. The last thing comes along with the first two. Because they love what they teach and have good relationships with the students, they have respect from their colleges and us, their students.

Personally, I never liked gym or French, but in middle school, Mr. Lidbetter and Mme. Billone made it something I looked forward to and now in grade 9, I miss. Mr. Burnley and Mrs. DJ each have inspired me to be like them one day, or at least a fraction of their greatness. Each of these teachers has changed my perspective on what they teach, enhanced my learning, and/or inspired me to follow their footsteps. Thank you guys!

Hannah Claeys

“One good teacher in a lifetime may sometimes change a delinquent into a solid citizen.”  -Philip Wylie

 I chose this quote because I think that it reflects what I personally think a teacher should be. A teacher isn’t just the person who stands at the front of the classroom, and teaches you how to properly multiply fractions, or is the person who taught you that perfect technique of how to do a proper take down without getting hurt. This is not all of what a teacher is, a teacher is inspiring, supportive, gets a student to look at issues in various ways, sets high expectations, and pushes a student when they know you aren’t going to your full potential. A teacher can be an academic teacher, coach, parent, or older sibling. Anyone who you are able to look up to, and follow their example. It is like when you are running a race, you pace yourself through the race and coming to the end you push yourself as hard as possible to reach that finish line, an ideal teacher would be standing at the end, cheering, and pushing you to get to the end, because they know what you’re capable of.

My personal teacher would be experiences from multiple individuals. Thinking long and hard I was not able to pin point one person who had taught me the most or was the greatest teacher, but I a variety of people have taught me many important things that I continue to learn by. Seeing as there are so many people who have taught me, I thought talking about a couple and a few qualities would work, and all these people could be the “greatest teacher”. The first person who entered my mind is my Mom, my Mom is a very smart women she works, and excels in everything she does. I have always wanted to be like that, I do push hard but give up half way through and don’t think I am able to do it anymore that is why I would want to be more like her in the sense of just keep trying, keep going, pushing till the very end, and making everything perfect. My Mother has taught me the necessity of hard work, and not to be lazy. Even though it is hard and I am lazy, a lot she doesn’t give up on me, ever. The second person I want to focus on is my older sister, Emily. Emily is a very responsible girl. Emily was always that person who had everything organized, she had a strong sense of protection and she is very responsible. I have leaned these things and many others from her, teaching Sunday school with Emily has also taught me patience for the children. Listening to their stories, trying to talk to them even when they are being difficult, you show a certain amount of patience with them and they usually come around. Emily has been there through thick and thin has always been there in her own little way, whether it was I spirit or literally, I know she will always protect me and help me in a struggle. The third and final people I would like to talk about are other great teachers, who were actually my grade 8 History and English teachers, and also my volley-ball coaches. Mr. Beilhartz, and Mrs. Zamora, these two had seen me have mental break downs and helped me through a rough time in my life. Mrs. Zamora was a very strong women who helped me overcome a lot and taught me to stand up for myself, and not letting people walk all over me. Mr. Beilhartz taught me to push, and be me no matter what others say, that they will both be at the end of the race cheering me on.

In general I think the greatest teacher would be experience itself. Because the greatest teacher isn’t one person in particular, it’s the lessons you’ve learned from multiple individuals. Because not just one person is able to shape you. The experiences you’ve encountered, and your attitude whether it be positive or negative is what shapes you. So personally I think the greatest teacher is experience itself.

Nathan Dean

What makes a good teacher? I am here today to respond to this question. In my humble opinion, what makes a good teacher is not if they are kind, knowledgeable, or even funny. No what makes a good teacher is if they have all of the characteristics.

A teacher has to be kind to their students to prevent hatred and the students feel as if they don’t belong. A teacher can’t be to kind as to disregard work. A teacher must be knowledgeable as the students need to learn from them and they’ll need guidance. The teacher should also have a sense of humor so they can interact and explain complex topics to students in layman’s terms in humorous ways. This helps the student feel comfortable with the teacher.

There are many more examples of characteristics that a teacher should have. All the qualities of a teacher put into one can balance out the others and the students can become comfortable with the teacher and gain a trusting relationship with them for the entire course. They will learn and enjoy their course for the year.

Brennah Malthaner

A teacher is truly great if they have the ability to connect with their students. If they help them understand what it is they are learning by relating to the students learning preferences and incorporates different learning techniques. Such as using a more hands on methods or integration of technology.

A great teacher also has to be very patient and never give up on any of their students; no matter how many times they may get something wrong. I believe if the teacher is patient it will encourage patience towards learning in the student.

An additional characteristic which is important for teachers would be caring. The teacher should be passionate about their job and enjoy coming to school every day, while also caring about their students and fostering their learning. As they're teaching our future generation, great teachers should positively encourage their students every day and motivate them to follow their dreams and be a mentor for those who get lost along the way.

Great teachers should also know when to be serious when necessary. However they should be able to let loose on occasion and have fun with their students. I personally learn more when the teacher makes the lessons enjoyable.

I believe it is extremely important to have great teachers. From a student's perspective having great teachers transforms learning into something fun and exciting. It makes me look forward to come to school every day to learn something new.

Maya Holmes

A great teacher has passion. That passion connects with me and makes me want to learn more from them and discover why they love a subject or topic so much. That teacher shows interest in their students and care about how they are enjoying the subject or topic. My vocal teacher is like this. She has a passion for singing and helping her students. I understand what she is teaching and appreciate how she tried to help me. She chooses songs that push me out of my comfort zone but she helps me overcome my fears and stretch to learn how to sing new genres. One time, she had picked a song for me to sing that had a very high note that I wasn't comfortable singing at first. We worked together and she pushed me until i could hit that note.

Great teachers make what they are teaching fun. Whether it be by playing games, or by giving an interesting lecture, they sound enthusiastic and aren’t just monotone and sounding like they are bored. They show that they are interested in what they are teaching and not just teaching it because they have to. My vocal teacher shows her enthusiasm by telling me interesting things about musicals. She also lets me know when she is excited by how I am doing. She encourages me to get into character when singing and feel the way the character feels when singing the song. She strives to share her interest.

Jennifer Yvonne Blass

In the past years, I have encountered many different teachers with different learning styles and techniques to engage students into the lesson being given. One of whom I remember the most, was my piano teacher. During my time in those classes, I enjoyed every bit of it and I was always excited to go to class and learn. Why? Because my teacher was like my friend, she listened to me and was always anxious to see the progress I had made in my piano studies, which really encouraged me to go forward. What made my teacher so good? Was it her enthusiasm and charisma? Yes, but most important, her passion for teaching. The excitement my teacher bought motivated me because, I knew that it wasn’t just another class for her; she was doing what she really loved. This should be the attitude of every teacher, to encourage students day to day to reach a better future!

Stefan Savija

The teacher that I admire or have learned from my past years and now going years is my piano teacher. Some characteristics that I admire are discipline, patience, and laughter. The main focus why I chose my piano teacher than my other teachers because she wouldn’t only care about marks but she would mostly care about my learning skills and if I failed she would always drive me to improve unlike my other teachers. Here are some points why I chose my piano teacher to be my favourite teacher.

My first reason why I chose her is when I clutter she wouldn’t correct me, but she would just wait patiently until I solved my own problem or contributed a significant amount of effort. Some mistakes took me 10 minutes to solve and some 2 minutes. For example I forget to play a key note in music. She wouldn’t bother to tell me that I slightly messed up on my rhythm or pitch if I didn’t even demonstrate enough effort. Another great thing about my piano teacher is that she doesn’t allow me to procrastinate and if I do procrastinate I get a dreadful punishment like playing the exact same song over and over again for 30 minutes. The reason why she takes procrastinating very seriously is because this could create life habits that will affect me through life and throughout my school life. My final reason why I chose my piano teacher as my favourite teacher is because she believes that every man and woman in this world have the skill in being successful if they desire to. Personally I think that the message that my piano teacher is trying to deliver is that the only way you can become successful is to discipline yourself and to use your potential. An example that I have learned from discipline is when I poorly do on a test or assignments I go back to review the questions that I have unfortunately done badly on.

At the beginning I thought I didn’t have the potential to be successful in piano, by being well guided by my teacher I realized that my potential in piano is greater than before. After learning how hardworking an important life skill is I started to complete my assignments on time not just in music but in school also. Unfortunately most teachers that are only laid back will eventually affect you negatively in the long run.

Mary Cruz Mendoza

What makes a great teacher is someone who uses entertainment to grab the attention of the students. There is nothing duller than a dry lesson without any humor.

Another thing that makes a great teacher is that if they take the time to get to know their students. There are times when teachers notice that a student’s marks are going down or if their behavior is changing. I think that teachers should take the time to see if there is more going on rather than assuming that the student is simply lazy. It is greatly appreciated too!

Something I find extremely important is when a teacher is loyal to their students. By that I mean that if another teacher blames the student for doing something they didn’t do, the main teacher will let the other teacher know that they got it wrong. Teachers tend to let this pass because they don’t want any problems between their colleagues. A teacher should always do the right thing, which is what they have been teaching us all of our lives. At the end of the day a teacher should be someone that passes down information to you. It would just make that experience a whole lot better if humor, trust, and loyalty were involved. Thank you.

Shayenne McKenzie

In my opinion you think a really great teacher is someone that shows that they enjoy teaching, cares about their student’s future and can be funny but discipline at the same time.

All of these reasons relate to my grade 1 teacher Mrs. Gaudet. Mrs. Gaudet is the one teacher that I have always looked up to. She is a teacher that always enjoys teaching, no matter how frustrated she may have gotten she would do her best not to show it and that’s why I liked going to school every day because I knew that she always gave off a positive vibe. What also made her a great teachers is how even though I was in grade 1 she made it clear that she cares about our futures and where we go in life. Even though I was at a young age it was nice to know that someone other than my family members cared about where I was going in life. Mrs. Gaudet reassured me all the time to try my best no matter what the circumstances. Every day in class Mrs. Gaudet never failed to make me laugh no matter what mood I was in she always put a smile on my face and that’s a huge reason as to why that made her a really great teacher. Another great factor as to why Mrs. Gaudet is how she knew the right time to be discipline and lay down the law, yes she was a teacher that knew how to have fun but she also knew the right times to be serious. All of these reason are why Mrs. Gaudet is a great teacher and why I've always looked up to her.

Hayden Deveaux

Teaching has got to be one of the most stressful jobs, especially teaching a whole class of rowdy teenagers for over an hour, four times a day. But a great teacher is one that can handle standing in front his/her students and teach a thrilling class. A great teacher is always prepared and organized. A student like me does not like when a teacher spends part of the class rummaging through binders and folders to find paperwork. I don’t need my class time wasted like that.

A great teacher is one who sets high expectations for their students, understands and engages with them. Like myself, who has an IEP (Individual Education Plan), I always like a teacher who understands me not only as a student, but as a person outside of school too. To get a full understanding of a student, a great teacher will communicate frequently with parents of those students. Other than that, a great teacher is one who sets clear due dates/objectives for homework/projects and makes sure not too hand out more than a student can handle. Also, handing back marked work fast makes it easy for a student to find out what they need to fix for similar future work. I had a teacher once who basically handed out the same type of homework questions, but handed back our marked work late and all at once, which then I realized I was doing some of it wrong after I’d already handed in others.

Overall, a great teacher is one who can make their students want to come to class every day because of how great they master their subject matter and can make the class fun by throwing in some funny jokes or life stories. A student never want that boring teacher who all they do is write notes on the board and fairly ever talks the whole class

Emma Miller

In my opinion, what makes a great teacher is not only their knowledge of a subject, but their ability to explain that concept in many different forms, and connect it to real life situations. I also think a great teacher is passionate about their job and what they’re teaching.

Not everyone learns the same way, so teachers need to be able to demonstrate ideas in different ways depending on the learning style of the individual. Some of my best and favorite teachers were the ones who were able to teach the curriculum and the significance of concepts and also how to apply them in the real world.

When a teacher is passionate about what they’re teaching, kids get excited about what they’re learning. It helps get kids engaged and excited about school. If the teacher seems bored with the topic, then how can you expect the student to be enthusiastic about it?

Being a good teacher doesn’t always have everything to do with knowledge, but creativity, interest and communication. In the words of William Arthur Ward “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”

Haley Di​meck

All of my teachers in the past have made a positive impact in my life in some way or another, even if I don’t want to admit it. It’s true some have negatively affected me, but they still had something to offer. Other teachers changed my life. After all, you have to listen to your teachers every day, so they will end up influencing you. I have appreciated so much learning from my teachers, of life matters that remain useful today and forever; not only about equilaterals and what they are required to teach. Teachers who have a grasp on these concepts, are truly great teachers.

A great teacher is someone who understands that each student has different strengths and weaknesses, and from there aims to help them reach their individual needs. When it comes to students being evaluated, it is easy for failure to lead to feeling put down. This only results in poorer performance. Great teachers are understanding, and encourage every student regardless of their strengths, helping weaker students find the courage they need to persevere. They never bring focus to grade comparison, but rather on the progress a student is making. It is important for teachers to show they believe in each individual, by being patient for success, and always being there for the student.

A great teacher inspires others to strive beyond what they think can be reached. My seventh grade teacher is who gave me confidence in myself to set higher goals, and have them achieved. He showed interest in every individual. One way he demonstrated this was by having “Literature Share Fridays,” where anyone could share anything. He inspired many classmates to write for their own pleasure. Some even wrote and performed songs, which our teacher accompanied with guitar. These simple, most caring moments that our class shared, are the most memorable and impactful as well. By teachers taking students’ ideas seriously and demonstrating care, the most unexpected students end up shining.

Erica So​usa

A great teacher allows class discussions. Students get bored of hearing a teacher lecturing and need to express their own ideas with the rest of the class. This way our teacher can guide us in the proper direction without shoving information down our throats. A great teacher takes interest in their class. They are passionate about what they teach and are passionate about their students. They get their students engaged and focused by making the class more fun and interesting. A teacher should teach us how to think, not what to think. A good teacher is someone who challenges their students. Someone who puts our strengths and weaknesses to the test. A great teacher motivates us to be comfortable taking risks.

Amber Owens Hughes

A good teacher is someone who is very passionate about what they are teaching. They care about the students learning and encourage and motivate them to be a better learner. A good teacher grabs the attention of their students. They might use something that would entertain the students, like a funny way to remember an important passage, or something they need to know for a test. A good teacher treats all students the same, no particular student(s) are referred to as his or her favourite(s). A good teacher has a positive, happy attitude the rubs off onto the students. Overall, a good teacher is someone who is passionate, motivating, grabs the attention of their students, find creative and entertaining ways to teach, never picks favourites, and finally has a positive, encouraging attitude!

Alex Vais​hnav

This question has been floating around for the longer than I can imagine. But first there’s a question that everyone must answer. What is a teacher? A teacher is someone who has patience as if their students are part of their family, it’s someone who doesn’t give trust, but learns to trust their own students, it’s the work they do every night to keep the classroom contained.

Policemen and Firemen might save lives. But so do Teachers. If it wasn’t for teachers the world will be different, not one kid would be educated and our society would crash and burn. We wouldn’t be able to do productive work. So maybe the police men and fire men are the sidekicks. Teachers are the heroes. A teacher shares his knowledge with a child, to grow them into an adult. A teacher shows a different perspective of life and applies it to your own.

Kids might say “School is for losers.” But they don’t realize school is what makes the world a better place to live in. It’s not only education. It’s the act of sitting down in a classroom and looking at the person who will change your life forever. That every word he/she says will affect you in your future. It’s the teachers you trust, enjoy and learn from that make a good teacher.

Miriam Ch​ozah

Teachers are extremely important. Teachers educate the youth of society who in turn become the leaders of the next generation of people. Being teacher is one of the most important and complicated job. A teacher can get a student at a young age to realize the value in learning. Have you ever thought of what makes a teacher a really great teacher? Well, their caring heart, their knowledge and there are many more positive things that made teacher a really great teacher.

Who is a great teacher? A great teacher is one who is able to take each student and help him or her reach their greatest potential. A great teacher would have to be able to teach different styles to children that may not learn the same as everyone else. Great teacher do not give up on student under any circumstance. Instead, great teacher expect that all students can and will achieve their goal. A great teacher knows their students well and they are able to engaged to students and get them to look at issues in a variety of ways. Great teacher are the one student can trust and rely on. They made themselves friendly to their student and sometimes they share them their experience. And by making themselves friendly to their student, student come to trust them and this is what made them a great teacher. There are good teachers and great teachers. Good teacher are the one who do their job as it is, but great teacher are the one who actually care for every single student they have. Great teacher not only communicate with student but, also with their parents and guardian. Great teacher do not care for their student only in their school life, but also in outside world. They love chatting with their student, and they want to know what’s going with their life. Great teacher do not only give advice to student but, also take an advice from student and they encourage them in whatever they do.

Being teacher is one of the most important and complicated job in life. They are the one who lead people to their path and show the right way to people. They are always well prepared and organize in order to gain some knowledge for a student. Lastly we can also say that great teacher are the one who make a better world.

Ahmad O​riakhail

People have learned and made a lot of progress these days. Everyone is knowledgeable in some manner and have enough stability. But no one has ever thought who the ones were that taught this knowledge to their students? They were their teachers. Teacher is the most important figure in student’s life being an important figure teacher sets a lot of strategies and responsibilities towards their students on what they teach them and what they learn from their teachers. So the question was what makes a teacher a really great teacher? Well, in my perspective teaching is the most complicated jobs today. It demands comprehensive knowledge of subject, matter, curriculum, enthusiasm and classroom management. My argument about being a great teacher and it is something that I have really given a lot of thought into is that I can trust my teachers.

Trusting teacher means that trusting your teacher on what your teacher is teaching you. This is the most important one what is being taught to you because it directly relates to students careers. A quote about trusting teachers by Tad Williams: “We tell lies when we are afraid... afraid of what we don't know, afraid of what others will think, afraid of what will be found out about us. But every time we tell a lie, the thing that we fear grows stronger”.

In conclusion, my whole point was that if you cannot trust your teachers what they teach you no matter how good, kind, enthusiastic, organized and patient they are it would make them great teacher to some degree but if that teacher can be trusted this quality will make him a great teacher.

Adrian Parduzi

Everyone has qualities they like, and dislike about teachers. Teachers need in my opinion, the ability to actually teach something to the students. It’s in their name for heaven’s sake, so it should be their main priority. When you are younger, you expect teacher’s to be nice and have lots of fun. When you’re older and looking to start a career, you want your teacher to teach you everything thoroughly, and be strict about work and attitude. I’m going to name my ideas on what makes a great teacher.

 As I stated, a teacher’s main priority is to actually teach. Teachers need a way to keep the class focused, and they need to thoroughly put the message through. If a teacher has no enthusiasm in their speech and no knowledge on what they are speaking about, then the class will have not listened meaning they would learn very little. An example of a teacher I had named Mr. Harper, my grade 5 teacher at Wilson Public School, showed all these aspects and kept a positive attitude. Many of my classmates from back then still recall him as their favourite teacher, even though we’ve had many teachers from grade 5 and grade 9. He should be a perfect example for what all teachers should be.

 Most teachers are ones you will forget, and not really acknowledge about when you’re older and revise your years in school. But the teachers you remember, the very few that you will tell your kids, nieces, nephews, grandkids, etcetera about, are the teachers that you have classified as good. Those teachers are that you would go back and visit and not the ones you try to avoid, or don’t even remember/care about. Those are the real qualities that make teachers over the top, and overall a great, great teacher.

Madison Lightfoot

In this world today we have many different kinds of teachers, but what is it that makes a teacher a really great teacher? To begin with, a teacher who is inspiring is the first quality of many as to what makes a great teacher. I believe that when a teacher can inspire a student it makes them that much more intriguing. This inspiration adds a personal connection through the teacher and student. When a teacher is capable of being an inspiration to students, they get a sense of security, self-worth, and belonging into a community. Along with being a source of enlightenment, having that trait and being able to be strict or enforcing is a great quality as well. Being strict or enforcing is a great quality in a teacher since he/she is able to keep the class under control and can get their work done sufficiently. Therefore, the teacher sets a great first impression, but it also proves to the students and parents that they’re not a slacking teacher and give the students homework to do. In addition to being able to enforce rules, it gives the teacher some leverage and insight on what activities he/she can do with the class and their level of maturity and responsibility. Moreover, having an interactive teacher gives you a feeling of relief knowing that they can involve their students, encourage them to participate willingly and joyfully. With a teacher who knows how to be inspiring, forceful, yet is interactive, you have more motivation to get your work done and participate voluntarily. Many teachers don’t know how to interact with their students, causing discomfort in one on one situations. Not being able to interact is just makes uncomfortable situations for both the teacher and student, increasing just how great of a teacher they may already be when they contribute to being interactive. In the end, a teacher who is inspiring, strict/forceful, but is still interactive on top of many other qualities they may have, is what truly makes a really great teacher.

Sophia Medcalf          

One thing that I think makes a good teacher is the ability to teach a subject. Teaching with enthusiasm is important because if the teacher is boring and speaks in monotone, not many kids are going to find the lesson appealing and won’t pay attention. Personally I find it easier to pay attention in class if the teacher sounds like they like the subject they teach.

Being able to teach a subject that isn’t usually interesting is a good quality because it makes it easier for students to concentrate. If I am weak in a subject, like French, it makes it a lot easier to understand if the teacher makes it fun for the student and can make it relatable to our lives outside of school. In extracurricular classes, like my dance classes, I prefer my ballet teacher to my jazz teacher because she jokes around with us and isn’t severe when making corrections.

I think as as teacher it’s important to be somewhat understanding when students can’t get their homework and assignments done right on time once in a while. Sometimes we have other homework to do and have extracurricular commitments that prevent us from completing things. When I have a lot of homework assigned from all of my classes, it is difficult to get everything finished for the next day and also be able to get to sleep before midnight.

Francesca Cinzah

Study after study shows that the future of the student depends on the teachers. We can say that the most important factor determining the quality of education depend on the quality of teachers. Therefore, teacher plays a very important role in the future of the students.

First of all, it is a must for a great teacher to have a good and a bright personality. A great teacher should have a good relationship with every student. They should know the level of each student and help each student. They should always support and encourage the students in whatever the students are doing. They should have high expectations and never give up on any students. They should care what the students learned in class rather than fussing over their mark/grades. They should try their best to help solving the student’s problem and contact parents if needed. Also, a great teacher should always be well prepared and organized. They must always have a clear, written out objectives. They should never let their personal problems interfere with their class and they should never take out their anger on the students. They should be patient, caring and kind hearted. They should know how to balance the discipline in the class. Sometimes, they should have fun with the student and create a good atmosphere in the class. They should know the limit for home work, assignment, quizzes and test. They should have the ability to reach the students heart and make the students wanted to come to class. They should have a desire to create a change in the life of a student.

Last, but not least, great teachers should always look for the opportunities to increase their own knowledge. They should share their knowledge and experience to the students and learn from the students too. A great teacher is basically a drawn data, like surgeons with lasers. They direct resources in ways that will move students. Therefore, a great teacher must have a strong mental imperative for changing.

Cam K.

When it comes to teaching, there are a few characteristics that I’ve personally found make a really great teacher. Some of these characteristics include: being enthusiastic and excited about teaching; making connections and bonding with their students out of class, (this also helps the student to feel they can ask for extra help); having flexible teaching methods that can vary depending on how the class learns; offering help after school or at break times; being passionate about the subject they’re teaching; and, in my opinion, the most important characteristic would be being open minded and accepting of all students. A good example of a teacher, whom I feel possesses these qualities, would be my grade 8 science teacher, Mr. Underwood.

Of course there are definitely other attributes that can contribute to being a great teacher (such as a sense of humor), but the points I’ve previously listed are the ones that stick out the most prominently to me.

Max Faulhammer

A good teacher is enthusiastic about what they are teaching. A good teacher shows excitement and has an interest in what they are teaching. They have patience with their students. They have an interest in their students. They mark and hand back tests and assignments quickly.

A good teacher should support his students to go into any career path, realistic or not, that they choose. They help students achieve their goals and inspire them to have new ones. A good teacher is always there when a student is in need of extra help. They help you improve if you aren’t doing so well in a course or activity.

One of my favourite teachers encouraged every goal a student wanted to achieve, regardless if it was realistic or not. He was always interested in his students and in a way was like a student. He was always soaking up the students’ interests and goals. He was interested in what he was teaching and made my class interested in what he was teaching. He would always tell jokes and make my class laugh. My class learned a lot that year because he always encouraged us to do better. He never told us we had to do better. I find people are more willing to do something a teacher has told them if they are encouraged to do so instead of being told to do it. To get a better mark the student will do what is encouraged by the teacher more so than being told because if he/she is encouraged they think they will get a better mark and make the teacher happy. If they are told to do something they will think of the consequences afterward. I had a lot of good times with that teacher. He was a perfect example of all the things I thought make a good teacher.

Eth​an Kast

A great teacher is someone who knows and loves what they are doing and the age group that they are teaching. Also they should be showing interest in whatever the student is doing or wants to do. They should push the students to thrive and get better in a subject that the student is already good at or a subject they need to work on. Feedback to why they got a certain mark and how they could improve is a good way to start.

A great teacher I once had was Mr. Vanmorkirk. He pushed the students to get better and if they didn’t have something in on time he would give you time to finish it. He was always interested in the subject he taught. When he marked something he would always give concrete feedback on what I did well and what I need to improve on.

Dami​en Blackmore

A lot of people have different opinions on what makes a teacher so great. I have heard things like “They help us stay on task”, “There fun to be around”, “They don’t assign homework”, and “They let us do whatever we want”. All of these things are different opinions, some I agree with while others, I don’t. The Main trait that sticks out to me for a “G...reat Teacher” is simple. They try just as hard as you do.

This is the most important trait (in my opinion) that makes a teacher so great. I find this trait important because it shows that if you are willing to learn then teachers are willing to teach. But if you aren’t willing to work hard at it, then how can you learn? Teachers are always working hard, but if they don’t have the same “level” as you do, then they cannot teach you as you should be taught. Perhaps you are more willing to learn than they are to teach, or vice-versa. But either way you must be at an equal level or neither of you will accomplish your goals. That being said, teachers must also be able to give you the little “push” you may need in order to become a successful learner.

One great teacher I had was a woman named Stephanie Cooney. She is a Core teacher at Sunnyside Public School. She was my favorite teacher because she adapted to each and every single one of us to our level of learning and absorbing information. She was strict when required and relaxed and calm all the other time. She is, in my opinion, a great role model of a teacher. She taught me far better than any other teacher I have ever had. She carried every single attribute that students only imagine.

Lindsay O'​Neill

Throughout my life, I've been taught by a large number of teachers. In some way or another, they have all had some sort of influence on me, both positive and negative ones at that. Through my own intellectual journey, I have come to recognize the many qualities that separate a great teacher from the rest. 

A great teacher has different qualities that separate him or her from the rest. They show qualities such as honesty, patience, kindness, flexibility, and most importantly passion. In my opinion, a great teacher is able to find success by incorporating his/her passion for teaching and the interests of the students, into one classroom. The teacher is able to challenge their students to become all that they can strive to be. When a teacher challenges a student, it not only increases that student’s self-esteem but also their self-confidence. That student is now aware of the fact that someone cares for them, someone sees the potential in them, and that someone believes in them. It is important that teachers can go beyond the textbook as well. They need to be able to not only teach by the book, but also by experience. A great teacher needs to be honest with their students. A good teacher will not only make their students "book smart" but will also tell their students about the real-life truths that exist in the outside world. One of my most memorable teachers was from the third grade. She is probably still my favorite teacher even to this day. Whenever I needed something, she made herself available. She was there when I needed extra help. She was there when I needed to talk, and that's why I enjoyed her so much, her kind heart and her support. For me, a good teacher is someone who teaches not only with their mind, but more importantly with their heart. This person truly and genuinely cares for their students. They care about their future, their interests, and their dreams/goals. It is someone whom students can confide in during times of sadness, loneliness, depression, and even joy. To me, it is essential that a teacher get to know their students personally, in order to truly shape, form or impact a student’s life and their academic journey/success.

Many qualities can determine ones opinion of what a great teacher does. However, keep in mind that each person’s individual opinion is different. For me the qualities I look for are: a passion for education/learning, a high level of care for their students, and engaging the audience in a personal and mental manner. Eventually, schooling ends and teachers will no longer have an impact on your life the way they did. However, what you learn can go beyond the classroom, it continues for the rest of your life. Apply what you're taught in school to real life. You come across many great teachers, professors, and role-models in your life. Let those around you shape your life so that you too, may possess the qualities you search for in these people.

Mercedes Azzo​parde

What helps us learn best? Is it the way we comprehend what someone says? Is it the way we can freely communicate our ideas? No, the answer is a good learner has the willingness to learn and the opportunity from a good teacher. So, what I ask next, is a good teacher? A good teacher isn’t defined by one thing; a teacher can be any one of us. But a good teacher has many qualities that help us, as students learn.

A good teacher is someone who strives and makes it their main goal to help a student understand. A good teacher also has dedication to what they teach. “Teachers who love teaching, teach children to love learning.”-Unknown. They help getting their point across by explaining the idea over and over, until it is fully understood. But that isn’t everything they do, they make sure that the student has time to try and practice something until it is time for evaluation.

In a few words, a good teacher has patience, assertiveness, kindness, and passion. They aren’t someone who teaches you for the sake of teaching, they don’t teach you because it’s their job, they teach you because they want to help you understand what they try to get across. So, if you are a good learner, this is the kind of teacher you would want.

Mub​aarak Aden Ibrahim

Firstly, Mr. Pakinson is a great basketball coach for the junior boys’ basketball team and I think he is a great sports coach. What makes Mr. Pakinson a great basketball coach? He cares a lot about his athletes and helps them out in any situation to make them feel good about their efforts. Mr. Pakinson likes it when his athletes try they best and helps them when it comes to failure, he tries to make sure that his athletes do not make the same mistake over again.

Secondly, Mr.  Pakinson is a really friendly coach and patient; I have never seen him get mad at an individual player and I have never seen him get mad at worthless matter. The only time I saw him get mad was once when are tournament game got cancelled cause of the weather so he decided to scrimmage and while we were scrimmaging everyone was getting mad for pointless things and we all were getting mad at each other for senseless mistakes, so he call off the scrimmage and we all went to the locker room, he started talking to us about how we are getting mad for no reason and how he has to leave his family to come so that he could coach us, therefore he could make us become a better player and our reaction was not appropriate for his hard work. Likewise, we all felt sorry then we apologized to each other and also apologized to our coach and therefore that is what makes Mr. Pakinson a caring and one of the greatest coaches I have ever had.

Lastly, Mr. Pakinson is a caring, friendly and Patient coach, he is a person that you can trust and ask questions about anything, a coach is not only supposed to train you for an upcoming game but a coach also needs to help you emotionally as well as physically. He motivates us, he always inspire the team and make us think and act positive. Therefore that is my reason for believing that Mr. Parkinson is one of the greatest coaches I have ever had since I started playing sports.

Renae Drew​ery

A really great teacher to me in my opinion is a teacher who is very helpful with students. Some students are struggling in certain subjects and it could cause extra stress about that subject when the student doesn’t understand the material that they need to focus on. The best thing you can do in that situation is ask a teacher for some help, if the teacher can spend extra time with the individual and help them learn the material properly that will help the student more than asking a parent or a friend.

Also, I think it’s good for teacher’s to let students redo assignments and tests because it gives them a chance to work better toward the mark they deserve. Some days it will be hard for a student to complete all the work that needs to be done, if they have a second chance they will know how to manage their time better for the next time. Tests can be difficult to study for because it’s very time consuming to study all the material needed for the test. If you get a bad mark on your test you should have a chance to prove that you can work harder for a second chance.

When I was in grade 4 I was in French immersion and it was difficult for me to understand what the instructions were. The teacher was one of my favourite teachers because she was very patient with me and spent time trying to help me understand better. After school she would help me understand what the instructions were in English so I knew what I was learning. Although it was very difficult for me I progressed alright throughout the year but I transferred out of French Immersion at the end. I felt she helped me a lot because she had the patience to help me practice my French words and learn the new material, without that extra help I may not have passed.

Laika Cameron-Morton

A great teacher takes into consideration the different students learning skills and needs in the class. They should try different teaching techniques so that they meet the students’ needs and they are able to learn. They need to be friendly but they also need to be strict when they need to be.

So​may Caglayan

The thing that makes a teacher a great teacher is a teacher not just focused on teaching but also being a friend and understanding each other. I think that a student should not be afraid of their teacher but they should be able to talk when there is a problem. When a teacher comes and sees that you are not okay the teacher should be able to come and ask you about your problems or just to say hi. The student should always know that they can talk to a parent, friend and a teacher also a good teacher doesn’t just mean not doing work and not giving homework, it’s the opposite if there is a lot of work that means your teacher cares more and they want you to have a better future. Our teachers have a lot of responsibility such as making us better people. The people that want to be a teacher in the future should think about these matters and focus on not just being a teacher but also being friends with their students and being there when they need you.

Grace Stallard

A great teacher never keeps knowledge to themselves. When they’ve learned something new from their experiences they make sure that their students are learning from them as well. For this reason I would describe every great teacher I’ve ever had as generous. They are people who are always willing to share their wisdom with others. Every teacher that I’ve ever really cared about or remembered was not only a great teacher but a great storyteller. They chose to engage and stimulate their students by sharing things that happened in their lives as they related to what we were learning. They shared stories new and old that entertained us and made us laugh, but most of all forced us to think. Ultimately, I believe such stories served to humanize teacher in my mind. They had homes, families, and friends outside of the classroom. Not only that but they had wisdom and experiences, and it was from hearing about them that I realized that it was these experiences that made them truly qualified to teach. In this sense, all storytellers such as authors, journalists, musicians and poets can be considered great teachers.

A great teacher is knowledgeable without being a know it all. This is because they never want to know more than their students. They are passionate about knowledge and will therefore take the opportunity to learn from their students, or share their own knowledge whenever possible. They don’t want to hoard information or blame students for not knowing the things they do. Instead, they want to share the things that they know and answer their students’ questions as best they can. As well, they are generous with their patience and will allow students time to find the answers for themselves if need be. A great teacher is a natural communicator and storyteller who generously shares their wisdom and experience to truly engage their students.

Katie Borths

“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself”. In today’s society we leave our education to the influential, powerful people we call teachers. The definition of a teacher is one who is hired to educate and teach. The best teachers do much more than just educate. They encourage, motivate, strive for the best and teach us students various life lessons and skills we simply could not learn on our own. Teachers come in all various forms such as a sibling, friend or parent. But the person who has made the biggest impact in my education could be no other than my horseback riding coach.

Although she may not teach me how to find the value X or how to decode Shakespeare, she has taught me more than all of my teachers combined. I came to her with minimal knowledge of how to ride or tack-up a horse. I was very insecure and shy. I was in way over my head. Everything I thought I knew was useless, but instead of letting me give up, she inspired me and motivated me. She helped me see that my dream to be an equestrian could be a reality with the right amount of passion, determination and perseverance. Believing and achieving has never come easy to me. I’ve always struggled through school and making friends. Finally this could be something I could be good at. I wanted to be an equestrian rider more than anything. Eventually the barn became my second home, the horses my best friends and my coach being my biggest role model.

To me a teacher is someone that helps you discover and guides you toward your dream. No matter the circumstances they teach you the knowledge, the skill, the motivation and create a platform for success. Someone that challenges you, and when it gets to be too much, lets you fall to pieces and then helps you pick them up when it’s all over. To me the definition of a great teacher is one that does all of that and more. That would be my coach.

Tyrell Sheehan-Shaw

I believe, by definition a teacher is an educator that can convey information into something the students can relate to or understand. However, just throwing facts out doesn’t make them a great teacher. There are many keys that fit the lock, when trying to unlock what it means to be truly the best teacher you can be. The ideal I’ve come to terms with is one who provides compassion for the students they are teaching, one who offers constructive criticism to those who strive to become the best they can be and one who provides entertainment to those who listen.

A teacher that can provide compassion when needed is always liked, but a teacher, who can use that compassion as a tool to make students strive to become their best, is someone who can truly teach. Compassion can be seen as a bad thing in the teaching world. Too much compassion and a teacher can be blinded by their emotions, while too little can make a teacher become the opposite of what he or she strives to become. However if the odd teacher in, can find this balance they can become someone who is lenient when needed while not getting blinded by the emotions of a struggling student. When I come to a conclusion that someone is a great teacher, I don’t think what they are great at, in a roundabout way leads back to their ability to convey fact, but teachers who go far and beyond, that think outside the preverbal box, those teachers are great teachers. A teacher who can entertain a class while providing important information, this makes students want to come to class, want to learn and want to put fourth their best effort into their work. A teacher who doesn’t just care about mark’s, but cares about if their students learned something and wholeheartedly enjoyed it. All this while being able to provide constructive criticism on area’s students are lacking in. For a student striving to become the best version of themselves, this is crucial. If a teacher were to just say that you can work on this area and not provide detail why, then a student can’t learn how to improve themselves and they will always be stuck at that level. But for a student with a teacher providing helpful and detailed criticism a student will be able to further improve themselves.

All and all, being compassionate to those who need it, entertaining those who tend to wonder and providing criticisms to those who strive to be all that they can be, is a tall order. To the odd teacher out there who can do all these things, however little they may seem, in my eyes truly are the greatest teachers.

Emily Rempel

There are many good teachers in the world, but it takes a special kind of person to become a great teacher. The most important quality that great teachers have is that they care about their students. While it’s important that a teacher cares about his students’ marks, it’s more important that he cares about and shows an interest in his students’ wellbeing. It’s important to get good marks, but at some point, the marks become less important. The people behind the marks will always matter. Great teachers recognize that and take an interest in their students. It is better to nurture and encourage students to become good people rather than just intelligent people.

The second most important quality found in a great teacher is respect. A respectful teacher understands his students’ strengths and limitations and works with them to achieve their full potential. When students feel valued, they are then more willing to learn from their teacher.

Finally, a great teacher believes in his students even when the students don’t believe in themselves. This motivates students to work harder and reach their full potential. A great teacher has a hand in all areas of a student’s personal development.

The qualities that make a great teacher appear to be only little things at the time, but they have a lasting impact on each student he teaches.

Monika Plauszta

What makes a teacher a really GREAT teacher? Well, let’s see…I’ve never really had to think this through because it isn’t like I’ve got to pick any of my teachers. It has always been “Alright, so I am your teacher” and we went from there. I’ve always had to “deal with” the teacher/teachers I got. Having said that, out of all of the teachers that I’ve had, I would have to say my favourites were the ones that were strict when needed but cool and relaxed at the time. It’s was always easier to like and get along with a teacher when the teacher was approachable, friendly, trustworthy and compassionate when it came to dealing with me and situations that I had to deal with. I also liked and still like teachers that are funny and can take a joke (once in a while) as I am a very sarcastic and outgoing kid. A teacher who is patient and available to help students like me when it is needed makes life easier, especially with my crazy schedule. The teachers that made lessons enjoyable by relating to real life scenarios and giving good examples always made class more entertaining and easy to understand. I think that the biggest thing for me is that the teachers understood that I have a crazy, busy dance schedule so when I missed something they were always there to help me and support me in any way that they could!!

Amber Sobon

There is an expression that everyone has hear at least once in their life, and that's is "you learn something new every day". For students a lot of that learning happens at school. And though we learn from a lot of people, teachers are one of the most important people to teach us. It's how they approach us with their knowledge and decide to share it with us that makes an impact on how we learn. I believe that a teacher can teach effectively when they have an open mind and are accepting of the students they have. A good teacher is also passionate and excited to share their knowledge with their students.

I think when someone is teaching it's important that they don't make any immediate judgments. Everyone is different and you can't know a person after only meeting them a few times. A good teacher is someone who knows this; they know not all students are as easily capable at certain things like other students are. But when teachers keep an open mind and are determined to help their students, it makes a huge difference. No one wants to feel hopeless and given up on. An example of this is in my gym class. Going into it I had no idea how to use any of the equipment and I wasn't really in great shape. But my teacher didn't decide to give up on me when I didn't get it the first few times. She stayed and helped me until I learned to do it properly. She made a huge difference and didn't give up on the students who struggled with what she knew well.

Something else that makes a good teacher is someone who is passionate about what they do. When you love something you want to share it with others and have them experience the same thing you do. When a teacher is excited to be there with their students and is enthusiastic, students notice and the energy is spread. The students become engaged in the lesson and learn so much more because it's exciting. Thinking back to middle school I had a few teachers that did an excellent job in being enthusiastic and passionate about their work. One teacher specifically did a great job though. He was my math and science teacher. He loved what he taught and he shared his knowledge with us in a way that made it intriguing for us. I still think back to ways he described things when in class and I don't quite understand what's being taught. I remember those things because he brought a positive energy to the room that made learning a bit more exciting.

Heather Hersics

Through the nine grades I've been through, the dozens of teachers I've had I only remember a specific few passionate, inspiring, open minded as teachers who truly had an impact on my life. Firstly, I've had lots if teacher who I have to wonder why they were even there. They obviously didn't like to teach or enjoy being around children, so I've come to believe that one of the most important thing in teaching is to have a passion for it. How do you expect kids to want to be in class if the teacher doesn't even want to? Also, a teacher who legitimately wants to inspire their students to be better, to me, is very valuable. My grade seven teacher would always tell us stories of how he made something of himself despite not so great beginnings, in order to inspire us to be better people, and I think that is priceless in a teacher, especially with young kids. Finally, one of my least favourite kinds of teacher are the ones who think themselves above their students. A great teacher should always consider themselves on a level playing field with their students, and take into consideration their thoughts and opinions. So, from the view point of the learner, teachers with a passion for learning, an open mind and the longing for their students to be truly successful is what makes them great at what they do.

Turker Donmez

First, a teacher has to give full instructions on a given assignment or future test. The best way we can learn is to know the process of which to do so. If we don’t know what to do exactly, our marks will suffer and our teacher will reprimand us hypocritically. Second, a good teacher should engage the class and talk to us about our lives instead of reading a book at their desk. A great teacher should talk to us about their own life. This can lead to class discussions that allow students and teachers to form relationships. Lastly, all teachers should be punctual mark their students work quickly after being handed in to them. We should be able to see if we are doing the work right before the tests for the unit after all. Nothing’s worse than a teacher who doesn’t mark our work, yet complains when we hand in an assignment in late.

Sara Saeed

A great teacher is a teacher who is able to teach well, who makes the learning goals in a course clear for students, and is organized and always comes to class prepared. Also, a great teacher is someone who can make students believes that they can success. A great teacher is able to communicate well with his/her students and makes the classroom a comfortable environment for students to be in. Sometimes students get inspired by their teachers; there are not many teachers who could do that, only the good ones.

Throughout my life I have had many terrible teachers that I could never forget, but I have had some good ones as well. One of my best teachers in elementary school was my homeroom teacher in the third grade that I admired. She was different than any other teachers I have had in the past years, and I learned not to be scared of teachers from her. She was so caring and helpful; whenever one of her students got in trouble she would always, always help them. She encouraged us to do some additional activities, such as talking in front of the whole school in the morning about religious things, and whoever does it gets a prize. Due to that I was an excellent speaker in school, but not anymore. She always gave us a second chance to do our homework if we did not do them the first time. Further, she encouraged me to practice in a memorizing competition at an elementary school level and out of hundreds of schools I got third place, all thanks to her. I am almost done high school and I have not had anyone (teacher) like her.

A great teacher shows qualities that others may not have such as kindness, patience, and open mindedness. I think that a great teacher is someone who could be friend with students.

La Dawn Almazan

I, personally, have a multicultural perspective on the different sorts of teachers and the variations of their teaching methods. Before coming to Canada, I lived in the Philippines till after grade 6, so my elementary grade years were spent with Filipino teachers who were very different from Canadian teachers in terms of conduct and methods of teaching. But despite the different cultural standards, I’ve noticed some of the qualities that are common in the good teachers that I’ve had in the past. These qualities possessed by educators help and guide you to excellence.

Teachers can help us excel by being fair, thought provoking, open minded, understanding, inspiring you to learn and explore your own mind rather than just being spoon-fed “knowledge” and of course there are the extra fun points when teachers are humorous, easy to connect with, gives you good an honest (but not brutal) feedback, etc.

No matter what part of the world you are in, a teacher is like a 2nd parent, a mentor, someone who guides us and prepares us to stand on our own feet using our own cognition. What our teachers teach us holds such power because it is one of the main the building blocks of how our minds work; a good teacher is one who knows how to help us build a solid foundation. A good teacher realizes that education isn’t about your level of intelligence compared to the whole society, but also how you learn, if you learn, and what you learn as an individual because the way we learn and think aren’t all the same. “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it”-Aristotle

Also teachers that are humorous and enthusiastic are captivating and inspiring. They make learning so much fun and something you look forward to instead of dreading it on Sunday nights. To be quite honest, I think kids don’t like school but they sincerely like learning. The only problem is the way teachers teach with all the unnecessarily difficult homework and some school restrictions and often not getting along with fellow schoolmates. A good teacher is someone who can turn this boat around and experience school in a whole other perspective.

Alyssa Anderson

I think what describes a well teacher is good listening. Teachers should be able to listen to what students say. If students need help with something. Teachers should take the time to well describe what the lesson there doing so students can get a better understanding. Teachers should show respect. Everyone says, treat someone the way you wanted to be treated. Teachers have a big impact on children's learning. So in order to help the children teachers should help students that don't understand the most.

Ryan Rusaw

What does make a teacher great that depends on the student and where they are in the world. Some people like a strict person who lays down the law and has no patients for tomfoolery in the class. Where others like a laid back teacher that can crack a joke and try to make the class fun and interesting.

An example of what I think make a good teacher is my seventh grade music teacher. Because without her help I would have never learned how to play a bass guitar. She also would try to connect with the students as much as she could, she was the one who help me come out of my shell and start talking to new people. She also try to make as many joke as possible putting on act that made her look like she was the meanest teacher but burst out laughing when people believe it. Also no one was allowed out of line in her class and if the class was good she showed us famous music videos

For me I think that what make a good teacher is the ability to make the class fun and existing but still making sure we get the work done. Someone who can make the students laugh but doesn’t let the trouble maker get out of line. And that's what I makes a good teacher.

      Everyone Else!
 

Husnia Barakzay

A teacher’s life is very dynamic; times change, students change, curriculums change. It is then a key to be able to adjust as quickly and as effectively to the undercurrents of teaching life. There is no doubt a teacher must have the aptitude to teach, which comes from extensive education and experience. Yet, what makes a teacher a really GREAT teacher is far beyond the realm of a classroom.

Extensive preparation will get one to the lecture. Extensive communication skills will get one through the lecture. Genuine care will get one to the end of lecture; and, this is when it all begins - the doors to becoming a really GREAT teacher open up!

Remarking that most important synopses of teaching take place outside of classrooms, one must demonstrate a sense of caring and love towards their students, their job, and life in general.  With these intentions in mind and heart no teacher should fail to succeed. The other skills such as commitment, dedication, diligence, punctuality and all other equally important qualities that must be part of a teacher’s character will come naturally. Love and care is the only way to touch the souls of your students!

Zahra Razavi

In my opinion, a great teacher is one that creates a learning environment where each person’s opinions and ideas are respected and valued, and where the students feel the courage to express their minds, without the fear of being ridiculed.

Another trait that a great educator has is a passion for learning, and for what they teach. As a student I know that when I see a teacher is truly passionate about what they teach, it inspires me to want to learn more about their field of study. I also find it inspiring when I see that my educator constantly continues to educate themselves in their field of expertise, and shares information about the most recent research and discoveries in their field.

Finally, the difference between an “OK” teacher and an amazing teacher is that the latter is willing to move out of their comfort zone.  An amazing teacher is more than happy to try new teaching methods and techniques, and fearlessly pursues ways to make their lessons as effective for their students as possible. 

Jon ​Krys

Having been an English teacher in the WRDSB for more than fifteen years, I often reflect on the teachers that I had in the past that were instrumental in guiding me along this path.

In the early 1990s I was an undergraduate student of English Literature at the University of Waterloo and was quite intimidated by the number of different professors, the amount of reading expected on a weekly basis, or simply getting lost in the rabbit warren of Hagey Hall.

One particular professor stood out to me. He was a bespectacled man with gray hair and beard, a commanding voice, and the daunting title of Professor Robert N. Gosselink. My first experience with one of his courses was Literary Criticism. My first written submission to him was returned with a “U.” Not an “A” or an “F” but a “U”. He went on to explain that my mark was “undefined”, that my paper had potential but that the argument was convoluted, the grammar was egregious, and that I had absolutely no idea about the difference between active and passive voice. I wasn’t quite sure that I wanted to write that paper again, I had to look up the meaning of “egregious”, and Professor Gosselink and I were not off to the most auspicious of beginnings.

But I took those lessons to heart and to this day I teach my students about active voice and developing a clear argument. I spent time in Professor Gosselink’s office seeking further direction, he invited a group of students to his home for a viewing of The Country Wife, and I sought his advice in travelling abroad for a summer of studies at Cambridge University. He continued to be a reference for me throughout Teacher’s College and for my first teaching jobs.

Being a great teacher is expecting the very best from your students, meeting them at their individual point of need, and then using that relationship to inspire them to become their very best. Thank you, Professor Gosselink, I hope to make you proud.

Shan​non Dea

Being a great teacher isn't about expertise in the discipline. Lots of brilliant scholars are terrible teachers. And lots of teachers who are still building up their knowledge of their disciplines are great teachers. We have libraries and the internet. We don't need our teachers to be encyclopedias. What is, however, essential for great teaching is a kind of humility and generosity that puts the student's discovery ahead of the teacher's expertise. There's a story about a Zen master who offers tea to an arrogant student, a student who thinks he knows everything. He pours the tea and, even after the cup is full, continues pouring, such that the tea goes all over the floor. The point of the story is that if students come to teachers (and indeed to study in general) with their cups already full, they cannot receive anything from the teacher. I think this is right. But I also think it's important for teachers to tip a bit of tea of their own (often very full) cups. My best teacher in grad school had the brilliant knack of hearing a good question buried inside every apparently bad question a student asked. He (the prof) wasn't pretending to see something good in the question. He simply had the unfailing, honest ability to receive all questions with curiosity, generosity, and with optimism (or maybe hope) in the students' intelligence. Being treated as if they were insightful encouraged the students to be insightful. The students' contributions to discussion got better and better as the term went on. The other example of a great teacher who comes to mind is my doctoral dissertation supervisor, who, when we met, had an uncanny knack for putting aside the stuff that primarily interested her about my dissertation research and instead drawing out from me more about what primarily interested me. She saw her job as supporting my development as an independent researcher, not as cloning herself. Many teachers and supervisors end up emphasizing what they know, and what they're interested in. The very best teachers instead bring to their teaching a cup not already full, leaving room for what the students know and what they're interested in.

Gordon S​tubley

As I reflect on the great teaching moments that have led to great learning in my life, I think they have all been moments where I have been challenged to see the world in new ways and to adapt how I work with the world so that I am a more effective and happy person. Some of these moments have happened outside the conventional educational setting and have come about by circumstances. Some have happened inside educational settings but have still come about as the result of a serendipitous alignment of circumstances. In a few rare moments though they have come about in educational settings through carefully planned and executed teaching – the teaching of GREAT teachers. Without doubt I have learned and benefitted from much good teaching over many years but it is to my GREAT teachers that I owe a debt of gratitude for all the richness in my life.

Donna Ellis

I’ve had hundreds of teachers so far in my life.  They used different instructional strategies, they taught different kinds of material, and they typically had more than one attribute that made me think of them as being “really great” teachers.  For example, they all:  knew their material well, treated students fairly, showed great interest in their subject matter, knew how to convey their ideas from a student’s perspective, and had a sense of humour.  What really stands out for me, though, is that they all made me feel that my learning mattered.  They all had many students, but somehow they helped us each feel that it mattered that we came to class, that we came prepared, that we were struggling with tough concepts, that we were risking our comfort zones by putting our ideas or skills out for scrutiny.  They weren’t all the most compassionate (although I know they did their best), but they were committed to helping us move beyond where we started and push ourselves to extend our knowledge, skills, and perceptions of ourselves and the world. 

I witnessed one very recent example of a “really great” teacher at my son’s saxophone lesson this past week.  His teacher was trying to get him to experiment with making up different patterns of notes so that he could practice playing by ear versus just playing by reading music.  He demonstrated how to do this and my son parroted back the note patterns that his teacher made up.  But when it came time for my son to make up some note patterns, he froze and began to resist:  “I can’t do it.  There just aren’t any notes in my head.”  His teacher became a “really great” teacher when he shifted seamlessly into more of a coach role and told my son first that he believed he could do it.  He assured my son that not doing something perfectly the first time is part of learning.  And then he explained to my son that he is a talented musician and could become even better if he would just believe in himself and try this new strategy.  To me, the underlying messages from his teacher were:  it matters to me that you believe in yourself and it matters to me that you push yourself to continue learning. In short, your learning (in this case, about yourself and music) matters to me.

So, to all the teachers who gave me probing feedback on my papers, who pushed me to trust my own judgment and find my own voice, who patiently answered my questions, who helped me to see new possibilities, who knew when to give guidance and when to get out of the way, who made me make my own decisions – thank you.  Thank you for investing in my learning.  Thank you for finding ways to show me that my learning mattered to you.

Jane Holbrook

Often we remember teachers with fondness when they taught us in the disciplines that we were really interested in. So for me I naturally thought that many of my science and art  teachers were wonderful; they were opening doors to things that I had a deep interest in and wanted to know more about. But the really GREAT teachers, they were the ones who got me excited about subjects that I had no natural affinity for or interest in. They were the ones who were really building the door, and the whole house that went with it, that I  needed to learn rather than just opening an existing door.  For me any teachers who could make learning a language a fun and worthwhile experience were truly great. 

Katherine Lithgow

During the fall, I read Patrick Lencioni’s book, “The Three Signs of Miserable Job”. The three signs are anonymity, irrelevance and immeasurement and, to me, they could apply just as easily to a miserable learning experience. Great teachers take steps to do more than just avoid creating a miserable learning experience; they take steps to create a great learning environment.  They make each student feel valued. They help each student appreciate the value of the material in a way that makes the student WANT to learn.  And they make sure that students know what is expected of them, what they have to do to meet or surpass those expectations, and they set them up so that they can meet the expectations.

The great teachers I have known are interested in their students as individuals.  These are the teachers who take the time to learn the names of most, if not all, of their students.  They notice who is absent and will follow up with that student if it becomes a regular occurrence. They chat with students before and after class asking how their day is going and finding out what is on their minds, what matters to them. One teacher I know sets aside time at the beginning of each class to let her students vent about things that might be pre-occupying them and thus preventing them from engaging in the class.  The students get the sense that the teacher cares about each of them as individuals and does not see them as anonymous faces in a lecture hall. 

Great teachers help students see the relevance of what they are learning and how it fits into the ‘big’ picture. They give them an opportunity to engage in the subject in a meaningful way. They help students see how the concepts being covered impact something or someone outside the confines of the classroom. And they help each student discover a personal reason to invest in learning the material.

Finally, great teachers help students gauge how they are doing, and what they have to do move forward.  These teachers help students learn to self-assess, determine where they are weak and what steps they have to take to improve in that area, and where they have strengths and how to build on that strength.  These teachers do not leave their students guessing about what has to be done or why. They guide them so that each student can see his/her own progress and can become confident in his/her own ability to continue to move forward.

In short, great teachers make learning meaningful, care about their students on an individual level, and give each student the support and confidence they need to continue to learn on their own long after the teacher has gone.

Svitlana Taraban​-Gordon

I think that great teachers are the ones that don’t give in to the comforting confidence of their teaching persona.  They encourage and cultivate the inner critical voice that challenges their confident teaching self. As a result, great teachers work hard behind the scenes of teaching when they develop the frameworks for their courses, do day-to-day prep work and organize their cognitive and emotional resources needed to do the job of teaching well. They also think hard about what they do as teachers and what their students do as learners.  In many ways they are akin to anthropologists in their ability to observe the teaching and learning spaces that they inhabit and to notice the slightest learning movements that escape a less skillful observer. They are a bit similar to the best poker players in their ability to read the emotional,  psychological and intellectual states of their students. They have a good understanding of the many variables that  affect student learning in their disciplines and they never silence their inner voice that asks, “What can my students and I do differently? What kind of teaching moves will produce better learning results?”  They use their thinking about teaching to develop a personal meta-theory about how to teach and how to optimize student learning but they continuously play the devil’s advocate to their confident teaching self in order to continue their growth and development as teachers. 

Trevor Holmes

For me, the difference between a good teacher and great one involves generosity. Reflecting on the professors and teachers who have made a difference in my own learning and life since elementary school, I’d say that several kinds of generosity have been key. First, intellectual generosity. Instead of being stingy gatekeepers, intellectually-generous teachers are door-openers and concierges. Not only do they invite you in to a concept, a discipline, or a way of thinking, they show you around! Second, generosity of spirit. Great teachers have capacious hearts, or seem to, and by example activate all that is best in our own questing and curious hearts. They care about how we feel on our journey, not just how we think.  Finally, there’s a kind of generosity that may not have a name, but it involves something about time and feedback and knowing when to stop both, as well. Great teachers notice when we’re full up, and also when we need something more to take our next steps. They don’t sacrifice themselves to students’ demands… that’s not what I mean… rather, they notice that we may require a coffee chat even though it isn’t office hour, or they may know that we can trust ourselves with next steps and therefore know that a meeting might be over sooner rather than later. They know how much support is needed and when such support would be unhelpful. Perhaps this last kind is a kind of generous honesty with time and support. 

Samar Moha​med

While I was trying to figure out what makes a really great teacher, I realized that the most inspiring teacher in my life is my beloved father. He is my role model and has taught me lots of things by example, such as: love, power, dignity, patience and almost every skill I am using in my life.

My father is the person who has taught me discipline, kindness and respect. He always supported me and gave me guidance and advice. He was and still is my role model, he keeps his promises and has always been very kind to people, honest, disciplined, trustworthy, and a very patient man. He always reminds me that not everything in life is easy, but we have to appreciate all we have and transform our problems to learning experiences. He never asked me to learn these characteristics, but I watched him being himself and this has always been my best learning experience ever. Now at the age of 70, he is the main love provider for our family. In order for one to be a great teacher, there must be some kind of relationship established between him and his learners. In my case, the relationship between me and my father is profound, therefore he has a powerful impact and influence on me.

I would like to thank my father for never letting me down, for catching me when I fall, for the times he never fully fell asleep until he knew I was home safe even when we were kilometres apart, and for leading by example to teach me all these priceless values. For me, love and leading by example is what forms a really good teacher.

Scott Anderson

passion engaged
humble compassion and reflection
inspired guidance

Brett Beston

The teachers that I connect with seem to share a couple of common attributes:

They are invested in the success of their students. Those great teachers go beyond just passing off information to their students; they make an effort to ensure that their students understand and can apply the material that they are learning about. 

Their lectures feel like they are telling a story. It's interesting, there's a logical progression, and usually, there is a main point!

Paul Kates

I find teachers are always a surprise, like books, for example. Great teachers always have things about themselves and their course that you like.  It may be a manner of speaking or a way of talking to you or something else.  Whatever it is, it makes a connection and memory that seems to last.

Mary Power

A great teacher
Has empathy in spades
Passion to boot

A great teacher
Has patience to guide
Needn't be a hoot

A great teacher
Not afraid to challenge
Knows it will bear fruit

A great teacher.......
Can it be we?

Kyle Scholz

A great teacher encourages you to test your boundaries and pushes you to discover opportunities outside of and unrelated to the classroom that advance your learning. He or she is not content with students simply coming to class each day, sitting attentively and performing well on all tests and assignments; rather, a great teacher inspires you to explore possibilities that are not feasible within the confines of a traditional classroom. Exchange opportunities, volunteer positions, and extracurricular societies certainly exist, but a great teacher will point students in their direction and encourage students’ involvement to enhance, brighten, and expand the learning experience.

To do so, that teacher must therefore understand the implications of the field of study beyond the academic context and what is beneficial to a student’s learning potential. Experiential learning can (and in my opinion, should) mean more than just providing students the opportunity to experience the course material in unique, out-of-the-traditional-classroom means; it should open students’ eyes to opportunities that have no immediate connection to the course, but will still certainly contribute to a student’s ultimate learning potential in new and inspiring ways.

Veronica Brown

My three favourite teachers are Mrs. Mennill, Mr. MacDonald, and Mr. Murphy. I am who I am today because of them. Mrs. Mennill, my music teacher and choir director, is why I attended my high school, dreaming to some day be a member of Fred’s Folk (named for Sir Frederick Banting), the school’s prestigious vocal ensemble. Mr. MacDonald was my swim coach while Mr. Murphy was my track and cross-country coach. Our school’s motto was, “To try is to triumph”. All three embraced that idea. As long as you were willing to put in the effort, you could be a member of those teams and in junior and senior choir. What made them great was that they welcomed anyone. While other teachers clearly judged some of my classmates, such as those who hung out in the smoking pit (yes, you could smoke on school property back then), these three provided everyone with the chance to participate. I wish I could describe it better. The best way I can explain it is the freedom from judgment they embodied. Yes, their expectations of us as students, musicians, and athletes, were extremely high (our swim team was city and regional champs, cross-country won provincials more than once, and our choirs performed at competitions in the States).  But it didn’t matter if, for example, you were the slowest runner in the world, there was still a place for you. While I can no longer conjugate French verbs, integrate  x cos xor analyse an I-beam, the lessons they taught me, to strive to live without judgment, stay with me always. 

Julie Timmer​mans

INTEGRITY makes a teacher great.

Insight into students' ways of knowing
Novel ways of helping students understand a discipline
Tenacity -- teaching is hard work!
Enthusiasm
Goofiness -- a little is good for everyone :)
Rapture with new ideas
Imagination
Timing the introduction of new ideas just right
Yearning to align self and teaching

Monica Vesely

The ability to translate a concept or idea from its native context into another is a mark a truly exceptional teacher. Through the use of multiple examples or analogies a GREAT teacher draws parallels between the components of the examples underscoring the similarity(ies) and highlighting  clear or potential differences. By offering multiple scenarios or contexts for each key idea, the GREAT teacher distills out the essential components or core principals of that concept or idea and demonstrates which aspects or characteristics may or may not be present and are peripheral or even superfluous to understanding.

Maxwell Hartt

To me, a really GREAT teacher is enthusiastic, excited and clearly happy to be in the room teaching. Clearly, there are a plethora of other variables that make a teacher great, but like I said, for me personally, I respond to the passion, the fun and the whimsy of a great teacher. Someone once told me that a really good teacher doesn’t need to enjoy the class, they don’t even need to like the material, but they need to love teaching it. This has stuck with me and has continued to motivate me through many a (could have been) boring stats lecture.

Kristin Brown

A really GREAT teacher is someone who cares about both what they're teaching and who they're teaching. This individual is someone who is not only an engaging teacher, but are also engaging in their personal contact with individual students. They are approachable and make time for their students. A really GREAT teacher is also someone who motivates and empowers their students. They motivate their students to want to succeed, but they also empower them to develop skills that will help them be successful outside of the class. They help students think and develop skills independently so they can continue to grow when they're no longer under their "wing". Overall, I think a really GREAT teacher is someone whoinspires their students, cares for their students, and helps them grow so that they can succeed independently beyond the specific class.

Kyra Jones

In my mind, a great teacher is someone who harnesses their passion for their subject area in a productive manner and passes this passion on to their students. Not only is passion for the subject area an important attribute, but also for teaching. Presence and engagement during a learning activity is contagious - if as an instructor you seem as though you do not want to be participating, students can sense this. A great teacher sets a good example and demonstrates how to be fully present and engaged in a learning activity by being present and engaged in the classroom. 

Karly Neath

A great teacher must be empathetic. A question one must ask themselves (and is unfortunately overlooked) before becoming a teacher is "Do I like children?" Great teachers like coming to school everyday, want to create great relationships with the children, and are understanding and flexible.

Monika Soczewinski

To me, a great teacher is someone who listens to their students. Not only do they listen, but they are not afraid to adapt their teaching styleand even the course content, based on what they hear from their students. And not only do they listen and adapt, they actively seek out their students thoughts!

A good teacher does this knowing that the best laid course plans can turn out very differently in the reality of the classroom. But by keeping the dialogue open with the students, listening to them, and adapting as needed, they can turn the classroom experience into a great one. This doesn’t mean that a teacher will comply with every whim of their students. It means they respect students enough to listen, and respect them enough to explain why an idea might not be implemented.  They keep an open mind and an alert ear, when it comes to their students.

Shelley Bacik

I think that a really great teacher has to be very patient and knowledgeable about the subject they are teaching. Recently, my husband has been teaching me how to skate. I haven’t skated for almost 30 years and I am really bad. You would never know that my cousin is on the women’s Olympic hockey team! I guess it doesn’t run in the family. He is very encouraging as he keeps telling me that with practice, I will get better. Of course, I need the encouragement as I fall down a lot and it hurts. But my belief in my teacher helps me to get out there and practice week after week. It also helps that I trust him to hang on to my arm and not let go so I don’t crash into the ice.

My teacher (my husband) helped me pick out the tools that I need to skate which included figure skates and a hockey helmet not wanting me to get hurt during the learning experience so he must be very caring and knowledgeable. He is even knowledgeable about things besides skating like first aid.  In fact, today at lunch time I will be going out to hit the ice again. Why do I do it? Well, hopefully after all my hard work and encouragement from my teacher, I will one day be able to skate with my granddaughter and teach her as well.

Also, if anyone is looking for a great teacher, there seems to be a number of them at the rink trying to tell me how to skate. It seems that everyone so helpful.

Verna Keller

G ood humour
R emembers names of students
E nergetic
A + lectures
T imely return of assignments

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Stay tuned for the 2015 Loving to Learn Day Contest!