What Makes a Great Teacher?

Most students have experienced both good and bad teaching. There are many qualities of a great teacher. I think every good teacher should be able to push their students, be a good communicator, be able to evaluate himself and the students and, most importantly, a great teacher should be able to have a positive impact on their students. Bruce Buddy was my third grade teacher and a great example of what makes a great teacher.

At the age of nine, I was adopted from Mali West Africa. I spoke no English and had very little education.  I was placed in Mr. Buddy’s third grade class where I soon realized I had a lot of catching up to do.  It was very difficult learning English and catching up with the other students. There were many times I got mad and wanted to give up, but Mr. Buddy kept persuading me to push myself.  He knew how to evaluate where I was in my school work and where I was emotionally. Mr. Buddy made me persevere and accomplish my goals for the year.

Mr. Buddy’s great communication skills made it easy for my parents to be involved in my education. He made sure my parents knew what books I was learning to read, and made sure they kept track of reading at home. At times, I would have to go into the Content Mastery Center or CMC and he made sure the teachers understood my situation. What was great about Mr. Buddy is that he also knew how communicate with me, so that I felt I had some control and involvement in my education.

Teachers should be able to inspire students to accomplish their goals and never give up on their dreams. Mr. Buddy had way of relating the lessons in class to everyday life.  He was always able inspire his students. Whether we were learning about the rainforest or reading about Harry Houdini and Louis Braille, Mr. Buddy was able to give us an adventure with his crazy unit projects.  His lessons would take us out of our little school in Wisconsin and into the tropical rainforest in South America or way out into the stars.

Bruce Buddy was able to push his students, communicate, and evaluate himself and his students and, most importantly, he was able to inspire his students. He talked with passion about the world and he made learning fun. A great teacher like Mr. Buddy can give students good memories of school, and make education a positive experience everyone.