What Makes A Teacher?

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What Makes a Teacher?

Passion, Persistence, Encouragement. These are just some of the attributes that Rita Pierson alludes to in her Ted-Talk “Every kid needs a champion”.

We all have come across a teacher in our lifetime that has encouraged us and made a lasting positive impact. Or had a teacher that we did not get along with and did not like. Yet, for some reason we still remember them.

Why?

Is it because they were so mean we can’t forget them? They gave us a grade we didn’t think we deserved? Or because they pushed us to be the best version of ourselves and believed in us at times when we may not have believed in ourselves.

This is what Ms. Pierson speaks to in her talk. She said that there is an importance to children and building relationships with teachers. “No significant teaching can occur without a significant relationship”. This is key when it comes to education. In my first placement as an education student, my associate teacher told me “Jenn, the one and only thing you need to do right now it build a relationship that has trust and respect with each and every student”. I was confused when he said this because I wasn’t fully sure what he meant. However, I took the time to get to know each student and one thing that they enjoyed doing or were passionate about. This showed the students that I was there for more than teaching, I cared about them as individuals and asked them each time I saw them what was going on with that interest or passion.

Children do not learn from people that they don’t like or feel a safe connection with. If the student has a good relationship or relationship in general with the teacher, it will be more beneficial to their learning. Even if the student is aware that the teacher is looking out for them. They may feel safer in the classroom environment which contributes to their learning.

In the Ted-Talk, Ms. Pierson said of how she had a low class, yet she made them all feel special by telling them that they were chosen for her class. She had confidence in herself and in her students and had them say “I AM SOMEBODY, I AM POWERFUL AND STRONG, I DESERVE THE EDUCATiON THAT I GET HERE!”. Believing in yourself as an educator and your students is key to creating a positive and productive learning environment for all.

“Make students feel like somebody when they are somebody.” - Rita Pierson

Students deserved to be treated with the same respect as any other student, regardless of where they come from and their beliefs. As educators, we need to be respectful and mindful of differences in our classroom, and what we can do to showcase those differences in a positive light and perhaps create learning experiences from those differences.

“You are kind, you are smart, you are important.” – Aibileen Clark, The Help

Each child that walks into our classroom is a unique individual with a story to tell. As Rita says, we may not like every student we have, and the tough ones always show up but that’s okay. This is what we are here to do, TEACH! We as teachers are a unique passionate set of individuals with a desire to share knowledge and watch students develop their learning and grow day by day.