In Tornberg( p.9) you can read that having had a good teacher can be of decisive importance to some students. I sometimes think it is a bit scary how important we as teachers are for the students, since we can’t really teach them anything at all, because it is the students who have to do the learning. Who doesn’t remember one or two teachers from their own schooling who were considered better than the other teachers? But what was is that made them better? A teacher who was good at explaining was often considered good I think and in Tornberg it also says that it can be that a certain teacher has seen the students and understood them or inspired them with their own interest in the subject and all this is probably very true. But I also believe that what makes a good teacher is the ability to look at himself/herself with critical eyes, to dare to admit that you are not perfect and to strive to improve yourself and your teaching. Then I also think that some people have a natural gift for teaching.
One of the best comments I have received during my rather short teaching career was a woman in her 40s who hated English when she was in school but now as an adult student had discovered that it was rather a fun subject. Then I felt that I had managed to make a change…
So what do you say - what is a good teacher?
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