Great Teachers Don’t Just Teach—They Connect

What makes a teacher great?

Let’s be real—some teachers were just built different. I’m talking about the ones who didn’t just clock in, drone on, and hand out packets like robots. I’m talking about the ones who actually made you want to learn. The kind of teachers who you’d actually look forward to seeing every day. Yeah, they existed. Rare creatures, but they existed.

To me, a great teacher was more than just someone who knew the subject. They were leaders. They were role models. Hell, sometimes they felt more like friends than authority figures. They made class feel like something you got to do, not something you had to do.

My favorite teachers made learning fun. They had this energy—like they actually cared whether you understood the material or not. And they weren’t just standing up there reading off PowerPoints or making us write 10 pages of notes on something no one would remember next week. Nope. They’d get you involved. Discussions, activities, even jokes… they made learning a two-way street instead of a one-way trip to boredom.

Then you had the other kind… you know who I mean. The ones that handed out worksheets and called it a day. Or they’d just lecture non-stop while you tried to keep your eyes open and your pencil from breaking as you copied word-for-word off the board. If you asked a question, they acted like you interrupted their TED Talk. Those classes dragged on for years, even though they were only 45 minutes long.

The teachers I remember the most weren’t perfect, but they were real. They connected with you. They inspired you. They didn’t just teach—they gave you something to believe in. And honestly, that’s what separates a “just okay” teacher from a great one.

So here’s to the teachers who gave a damn. You made a difference, even if we didn’t say it back then.