Recently, I met my new neighbor. She’s a lovely person, and she’s patient even when my puppy won’t stop barking. (And Rowdy barks all.the.time. Follow her adventures @rowdy_and_sophie.) While she is a good neighbor, I made a point of steering the conversation away from work.
Frankly, every time someone learns I’m a teacher, they want to offer their two cents. My dentist has offered his insights into the public education system. My pharmacist swears she could “straighten those kids out.” Even my best friend has “thoughts.”
And while they all begin with “I don’t know how you do it…,” they still have thoughts and ideas about what education should be. They say “I’m sure you’re not one of those teachers.” I no longer ask clarifying questions. I’m not willing to change accountants or doctors, so I just shrug or change the topic. They pay taxes. They can have opinions.
But what I really want to say is: No, I am one of those teachers. I work hard, grade hard, and leave when my contract ends. I engage with other professionals to make choices that are best for my students, and I seek professional development from a wide network. At night, I rarely check my email after hours, but I sometimes struggle to fall asleep because I’m worried about my students.
Even though everyone outside of education has an opinion about what makes a good teacher, all I want to say is: “you’re a great teacher.” You are enough. And these are 6 subtle, unexpected signs to prove you’re a good teacher.
Subtle Signs You’re a Great Teacher
First, consistency is a subtle sign that you’re a great teacher. Students want to feel safe, and consistency makes the classroom environment predictable, which fulfills students’ need for safety. When students feel safe, they can take the kinds of risks that lead to great learning. Learning requires vulnerability, and no one wants to appear vulnerable without first feeling safe. Create a sense of consistency by using strong classroom procedures.
Second, you’re a great teacher when you model caring for others. Not only are you modeling what caring looks like, but you are modeling what it is to care for others. Teaching is a caring industry. Students want to know that teachers have their best interests at heart, and we can show this by greeting students at the door, engaging them in hallway conversations, and emphasizing growth over perfection.
Listening is an important way to model caring. Teachers have to “listen” in a variety of ways. Sometimes students communicate with behavior instead of with language. Teachers can model listening by creating spaces for students to communicate. These spaces can be personal or digital, formal or informal. End-of-unit feedback is a great way to create space for students to communicate. Grab my free student feedback form today.
Unexpected Signs of Great Teachers
Some signs that you’re a great teacher are more unexpected. As teachers, we’re expected to be the authorities in the room, the “content experts.” But every teacher will also tell you that she’s a student first. Since we’re always learning and growing, it’s important to own mistakes and missteps.
Not every lesson will be a winner. Sometimes you might snap out of exhaustion. Sometimes technology goes awry. Regardless of what mistakes and missteps occur, it’s important to own them, communicate them, and model a growth mindset for students. A quick apology can be an essential part of building classroom credibility.
Similarly, you’re a great teacher when you model self-care. I don’t mean modeling fluff, but students should see their teachers draw boundaries. Too many folks believe that teachers should be candles burning at two ends. Too many “stakeholders” are happy to let teachers martyr themselves. When that happens, good teachers burnout. For this reason, it’s important for teachers to model sustainable professionalism.
The Key to Being a Great Teacher
The most important sign that you’re a great teacher is simply the desire to be a great teacher. Great teachers are always looking to grow, change, and improve. It’s important to notice that you don’t have to seek to be the greatest teacher. Competition can be healthy, but education isn’t a game. Instead, it’s a job you have to want.
While there are countless subtle and sometimes unexpected ways to show you’re a great teacher, there are some commonly confused signs. These are things that look great on social media but have no relation to the quality of teaching.
- First, the amount of money you spend on your classroom has nothing to do with how much you love your students.
- Similarly, your students’ test scores do not convey that you are a great teacher. As professionals, we know that high-stakes standardized testing is not the best way to determine student growth and achievement.
- What’s more, having a cute classroom or a Pinterest-worthy space does not determine whether or not you’re a great teacher. All this shows is whether or not you’re good at scrolling Instagram.
- Similarly, you do not have to jump on every trend to be a great teacher. Education is full of trends and fads. Entertain the ones that suit your students’ needs or your sensibilities and bin the rest.
- Finally, it’s okay not to be the most popular teacher. Students gravitate to different teachers, and your level of popularity has nothing to do with whether or not you’re a great teacher.
Last Words
Take it from me. You’re a great teacher. You’ve read to the end of this article. No one reads this kind of material without actively seeking to improve. You have this. You are enough. Teach on.
