Favorite [Adventure]

[Adventure 115]

Someone asked, "What makes a great teacher into your favorite teacher?" 

For someone reason that question stuck with me.

I thought about all the great teachers I had in my school years. They were the ones who made learning interesting. They were the teachers that encouraged students to ask questions in addition to asking students questions. They are teachers that recognized when the class was engaged in learning and when they weren't, and made changes that got us engaged with the material. 

My favorite teachers were all of that, but with something a bit extra. It took me some time to pinpoint just what it was that transformed them from great to favorite. Two distinct qualities sprang to mind. 

The first is that they treated me like a human being. Like an equal human being with valid feelings and thoughts and hopes and fears. That made all the difference in my learning and in my growth as a person. 

The second is that they truly loved teaching and helping their students succeed. That love for what they did and from whom they taught transformed a classroom into a community.