Three Qualities of Great Teachers and Parents

Think back to your favorite teacher in school, the one who made the most impact on your life. Which qualities did they embody that made them great? I am willing to bet that the qualities you came up with fall into one of three categories:


1) Having high expectations for you. Great role models are great because by having high expectations for their pupils, they teach them that students are capable of more than they once knew. Every child wants to feel competent and strong, but almost every human being needs someone to push them a little outside of their comfort zone in order to find out how good they can be.


2) Connecting to you as an individual. Some teachers are great because they make students believe that they matter. By showing a sincere interest in them, taking time to ask what's going on in their world, and sharing a little of themselves, these teachers build a child's self-concept by makeing them feel worthy of the teacher's time.


3) Offering some choice or freedom. The best teachers give students choices about how they learn and how they might show what they've learned, which allows them to assimilate new knowledge into an already stong passion or talent. It also shows trust to students who have proven they can handle some freedom and responsibility. When shown trust, most students want to be worthy of it, and they rise to meet the challenge.


These three categories represent what all children desire from their parents, teachers, and role models. My personal theory is that good parents embody all of these traits, and this helps them to raise children who know they are loved, know their own competence, and can handle responsibility and choices.