Being that I'm in the process of watching "13 Reasons Why", I am tempted to say that just as there are good people and bad people in the world, there are good teachers and bad teachers in the world – but obviously more bad teachers than good teachers.
*To the teacher reading this: you're one of the good teachers!*
But good and bad are relative terms. I think the general consensus on what makes a good teacher is a teacher that gives the students good grades.This definitely sounds immature and self-serving, but students work hard and want to be acknowledged for it. Nothing wrong with that. Without acknowledgement to serve as encouragement, students lose focus and then despair into not being able to succeed no matter how hard they try. If there is no guidance from a good teacher, then they'll think they can't improve and sink into despair.
Throughout my education, I have had some good teachers and many bad teachers. Granted, I can count the good teachers on one hand, but it's quantity, not quality–right?
The first good teacher I had was in high school. She became my mother, father, sister, best friend, and mentor. She was everything I could've wanted in life, but then she got married to someone else... I was heartbroken.
So I waited and got to college where I spent my first semester with a teacher who made me believe I could be an engineer. She paired me with upperclassmen in my major, and would always smile at me and make me feel special. A year later, I got the chance to nominate this teacher for her excellence in teaching. As I watched her standing there getting honored, it just felt so right.
I then took a summer class with an NYU professor, whom my entire class agreed was eye-candy. Aside from his 6'2" fit frame, boyish haircut, and chiseled chin, he had a fun and friendly personality that charmed the entire class. He was only about 10 years older than us and he had the best hiking stories ever, but at the end of the semester he left too... Granted, I'm not quite sure what he taught us; I think it was math. Aesthetics matter a lot when rating a professor. Because when we have to sit looking at someone for 1.5 hours a day, making it easy for us in that arena is always appreciated. Students have actually been talking about creating a catalog of handsome professors at our college. Whoops! I probably shouldn't publicize that... whatever.
I've had other good teachers throughout my education, but none that stood out like the aforementioned. To be fair, these teachers did not teach an auditorium of students, but then maybe that's the way to do it. How can you create a meaningful connection with someone if you barely know their name? Teachers teaching an auditorium of students are practically strangers to their students. Can you really internalize and trust something that you've heard from a stranger?
