Stevie Macgregor ’19, Sports Editor
What makes a teacher great? Most students have a few qualities that lead them to favor teachers over one another. On the mission to discover what students liked in teachers a variety of students, big and small, young and old were asked: “If you could have any person in the world be a teacher at the school, who would it be and why?” Responses varied from hip-hop and rap artists to their own family members. However, there were two themes that emerged over the course of the interview process. Students either wanted a mentor who was one of the smartest in the world at what they do or a kind, caring mentor to help nurture them.
Students wanted to learn from someone that had performed their craft at the highest level. If someone could teach them how to be successful, it must be someone who’s extremely successful themselves. Junior Garrett White would like to learn from Warren Buffett, one of the richest men in the world, because, “[Warren Buffett is] very successful and knows how to work with money.” Garrett hopes to one day lead a similar life to Mr. Buffett, so it makes sense that he would want him as a teacher. Many other students also responded Bob Ross, an excellent painter, due to his ability with a paintbrush. Students wanting a teacher with expertise makes sense, they want to be able to trust they are getting the best education possible. It makes
However, some prefer a more loving approach to teaching. They want the love and kindness provided by someone close to them. Junior Lucy Lovell blends the ideas of loving mentor and an expert at what they do by choosing her dad, someone who is very close to her but is, “really good at his job and could teach a business class.” He could provide the nurturing necessary to see the students grow and the expertise to be an effective educator. Senior Danielle Booth thought her mom would be a good teacher because, “She’s such a caring and loving individual.” The loving approach provides students with a more forgiving and comfortable environment to learn.
Students seem to look for a teacher who will nurture them with love or use their own experience in the subject to teach them. Teachers may form close bonds with students through kindness and caring or being able to share common passion in a specific subject. There are many traits that make a teacher great and we can all agree South Lyon’s teachers are definitely great.
Photo courtesy of CNBC.com
Lyon Life 