“What is a good teacher?”

What is your ideal teacher? Does a familiar face come to mind? Or is that teacher you? Both teachers and students around VHS have similar yet different expectations for what makes a “good” classroom environment.

“A good teacher is someone who cares not only about you as a student but as a person.  He or she has to be passionate about what they teach and of course makes the class interesting,” says senior Taylor Lavery. In the class environment, it isn’t just the teacher who has to “perform” well, it is also the class as a whole who have to bring the effort to the table. Taylor concludes that a good class is “when everyone is interested and involved in the class discussion as opposed to just a boring lecture.”

Senior Luke Connell feels a good teacher is “someone who knows what they are talking about when they stand in front of the class and respects the students.” While VHS English teacher Dr. Smith agrees that the best relationships in the classroom come from the teachers showing respect to their students so the students respect the teachers back. Luke believes the key to a good class is having a diverse group of students with different personalities and opinions. From a teacher’s point of view, “I try to always make lessons engaging and different to touch everyone,” says Dr. Smith “you have to know the students sitting in front of you.” Dr. Smith goes on to explain that she teaches her lessons differently depending on the class and how they interact.

Senior Samantha Tusi appreciates a teacher who doesn’t call their students out in front of the whole class or makes someone feel stupid when they ask a question. She also agrees you can’t have a good class if there is anyone who thinks they are above anyone else. While, Taylor feels a teacher shouldn’t think they are “above” their students and talk down to them.

VHS English teacher Mrs. Young tries to be a teacher with “compassion and the ability to listen and understand yet the ability to be firm and decisive when needed”. She also feel that the students have to meet the teachers half way and be interested in the subject matter and willing to express themselves, be focused, and driven.

“A teacher should be someone who listens to their students’ questions and explains thoroughly,” says sophomore Kaitlyn Deo, “some teachers are not organized and let students have too much freedom.” Senior Ellis Martin feels the way a teacher acts in front of the class is crucial, “he or she shouldn’t be too formal but more down to earth and relaxed yet enthusiastic about the lesson.”

The ideal teacher comes with a lot of do’s and don’ts but mostly don’ts. Luke Connell says, “Teachers shouldn’t concentrate too much on rules, cell phone use and the little thing. They should just teacher and let the kids who want to learn, learn and ignore kids who don’t want to be there.” Dr. Smith said a “bad” teacher doesn’t grade papers right away or read over assignments because students will pick up on it right away and will take advantage of the teacher’s laziness. “No one should choose this profession for the long summers and 3:00 P.M. dismissal, you should choose it because you love your job.” Mrs. Young believes it is someone who “assumes there is an issue, yells before thinking, doesn’t know the material and subject matter and doesn’t admit when he or she doesn’t know something.”

Even though teachers have the authority and are the leaders in the classroom, the more they treat their students as equals, the more favoritism the students have toward them. Being in a high school, students want to be treated more of an adult and not a kid, which results in more respect throughout the classroom.

Having all the traits to the ideal teacher and reaching the high expectations is much easier said than done. But the best way to have the most influential and productive classroom is for the teacher and students to see eye to eye and have respect for one another. The teachers must show they deeply care for the students’ well being at the same time the students must show interest and determination. One’s favorite teacher isn’t necessarily the teacher he or she learned the most from, it’s the teacher with the right intentions and attitude toward the subject and student’s success