In one word, what makes a teacher great is passion but it is not quite as simple as as it sounds. Often when we talk about passionate teachers it is assumed we mean about the job in general but that is really an overview. A great teacher will be driven through three main sources of passion which inspire work ethic, a desire for continual improvement and contribute to their ability to engage students.
The obvious starting point is that teachers should be passionate about their subject areas. This is not just about having content knowledge which is of course an important starting point but it goes beyond simply having an understanding of the curriculum. Passion is about showing our interests and being driven by a desire to do justice to our subject area, even a wish to inspire our students to have a similar connection to the subject area. In the classroom this leads teachers to create engaging resources and often go beyond the curriculum to develop a deeper understanding which ultimately improves students experience. The absence of this passion is also extreme with teachers relying on textbooks or other prefabricated materials which can have the opposite effect.
Next up is a passion to support and help the students we teach with a desire to get the best possible outcomes. This is not just about getting good results at the end of secondary schooling but providing a culture of high expectations. Beyond this it is being passionate about their welfare as well, both in terms of our legal obligations for safeguarding and supporting mental health. Not only does this build better relationships with students which ultimately leads to better results but in turn means that teachers can have an important positive impact on students that would otherwise fall through the cracks. A passionate teacher willing to work that little bit harder to engage with a student can make a huge difference.
Finally, the third ingredient is a passion to continually improve a teachers own practice. To an extent this is mandated as part of the registration process in some jurisdictions but their is difference between satisfying regulations and engaging in meaningful development. Furthermore, it is the passion to want to improve by experimenting and implementing new learning into their practice that drives teacher to fine new ways to teach content or address student need. Without a passion for improving ourselves the danger becomes, like students, that we become complacent which in the long run can impact our other areas of passion.
Ultimately, great teachers will have these three passions and while they may wean a times the trick is having strategies to reengage and connect whether that is through teaching new content, seeking out new professional development or setting goals with a particularly difficult class. This is what keeps them at the top of their game.
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