What makes a teacher great?
‘Arrogance of Literacy’ – those who hoard knowledge and wield it like a weapon. A true teacher, my friends, is the opposite. They are the bridge, the revolutionary of the classroom, illuminating the path for our youth.
Great teachers, like the outliers of the past, are those who clock in the 10,000 hours. They haven’t just mastered the subject, they’ve wrestled with it, sweated over it, until it becomes a second language. This dedication shines through, sparking a fire in the minds of their students.
But knowledge alone isn’t enough. A great teacher understands the cultural context, the struggle our children face just walking into a classroom that often wasn’t built for them. They bridge the gap, like reaching across the racial divide, using their students’ background and experiences to make the lessons hit home.
Furthermore, a great teacher has audacity. They challenge the status quo, the educational Jim Crow, pushing students to think critically, to question, to be unafraid of their own brilliance. They are trendsetters with a pointer, demanding excellence, demanding our youth reach for the highest shelf, not settle for the scraps left on the floor.
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