What is “good” teaching? What is “great” teaching?

We read and hear about “good” and “great” teachers. However, what are the defining characteristics of this caliber of teaching? Is it engagement of students, content knowledge, the ability to connect relevancy to students, the constant exploration of new and exciting teaching strategies that expand learning opportunities for students while promoting professional growth? Is it collegiality, whereby the human capital that exists is used to further the professional capital? Is it the preparation of students through rigorous coursework and authentic assessment that prepares them for life after high school? All? Some? None?

What if we can only truly master a few of these professional traits? Does this diminish one’s capacity to be a ‘great’ teacher? Or is this idea of “good vs. great” one of such subjectivity that not even a score on a state APPR rubric can decipher between the two?

It is our mission as a profession to lead by example, impart knowledge, and improve students’ thinking skills, creativity, curiosity, and a love of learning that will last a lifetime. We should strive to be the best we can and model this philosophy in our work.

We live in such a competitive world, where we are either trying to “keep up with the Joneses” or simply trying to outdo each other in the proverbial race to nowhere.

In actuality, in our drive to be great, we can sometimes lose sight of the need to work together towards a common goal. Regaining this focus requires a reevaluation in our approach towards each other and a commitment to join forces in lieu of practicing of isolationism.

Our greatness comes from within….The internal drive and our commitments influence us and with collective force can also direct the external stimuli that stymies us in political and social arenas….

Only when we unify around a common vision for what quality instruction, student-learning, and meaningful assessment looks like can we truly elicit lasting change in our professions and classrooms. We can talk about it, but until we practice it, and learn from it, it is simply idealism.

In the end….we are friends, parents, problem-solvers, counselors, protectors, role-models, confidants, life-lines…we are teachers.

So, I am curious to know from your perspective, what are the qualities that make the difference between a “good” teacher and a “great” teacher?