I was asked a question

Yesterday I was asked a question about what makes a good teacher and it was a direct question, someone wanted to be doing a great job. I wanted to share here with you what I said:

No real teacher needs a gimmick. You need an idea, a solid thing you want to promote, one thing and one thing only you want them to learn and let all that you do during the day support that. You want to communicate that idea effectively, it's like writing a thesis, you do the same stuff. The magic you bring to class is not in a hat, or a card trick or in a picture show ( though I have to say people love these better than life!!, they like to sit in the dark and be spoon fed visuals, I'm not sure why, restful perhaps?) The magic resides right in you. Any audience can be turned on by you being passionate about what you do, excited to teach them and being loving. That all said people never remember what you teach them but they always remember how you treat them. People do need to have fun. Fun is sometimes in short supply at least in the classroom in my experience. Maybe you could tell a few good jokes about your subject.

Don't take yourself too seriously in class, people loved to be asked their opinion about things and told when they are doing a good job. Relate your struggles to your students. Ask what they might have done differently. Ask them if they have ever hooked an animal or helped someone to. What tips can they offer the class? Ask people by name. Ask everyone. People find this kinda stuff very helpful. No matter your experience older hookers need fresh meat and they know it, even if they are grumbling all the way.

A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary. ~Thomas Carruthers