What makes a good teacher?

Over my 17 years of schooling, I have had my fair share of teachers. Now, everyone knows no two teachers are the same and having a good teacher can either make or break a class. So I, along with a few friends, have compiled a list of what we think makes a good teacher:

• Getting to know students. This one was repeated by every student I asked. When teachers take the time to get to know their students as people, rather than just a number in their class, it really helps. Also, knowing how a student spends the rest of their time – whether it be work, family or more school – can help the teacher to better understand the student.
• Allowing students to get to know the professor. When students are more comfortable with a professor, they will not be afraid to ask for help or answer questions because they feel like they are talking with a friend and this can help the learning process.
• Understanding all students are different. Just like no two teachers are the same, no two students are the same either. Some students learn visually while others learn from the hands-on approach. It is important for teachers to take this into consideration as this can greatly affect how the student comprehends the information given.
• Willingness to help students. When teachers have multiple office hours to assist students it is super helpful. Some teachers will only have one day when they have office hours, but some students may have class during those times. When teachers are willing to work with students schedules to assist them, it shows that they actually care for the students and want them to succeed.
• Reviewing work. When teachers hand back graded work with no suggestions for improvement, it is not helpful. The best way to learn is from our mistakes, so when teachers actually mark up our work and show us where we went wrong, it really helps us get the best out of our learning experience.
• Giving chances for extra credit. When teachers give options for extra credit, it is so helpful. You can make one mistake on one quiz at the beginning of the semester, and your grade may take a hit for the whole semester. But if teachers give options for extra credit -whether it be attending an MC event or making a study guide – it allows students the chance to not have the entire semester defined by one mistake.

These are just some of the things we think makes teachers great. I want to thank everyone who gave me their input and if you have any other ideas that you think make someone a good teacher, please comment below.