Are teachers with the highest qualifications the “best” teachers in the classroom? Are teacher’s SAT scores and what college he or she attended good indicators of whether they are going to be great teachers?

What makes a great teacher, first and foremost, is someone who is passionate about ideas and can make ideas live, who demands excellence, teaches how to think, and encourages creativity and a critical eye.

Parents, principals, educators, experts, and students weigh in below about what they think makes a great teacher. Some people thought it was important for teachers to be funny. One person said, “A good teacher needs to like children.”

What qualities do you look for in a good teacher? Tell us, or tell us about one of your favorite teachers, in the comments at the end of this post.

A great teacher is:

‘CREATIVE’

My favorite teacher sang with us… even played football with us. My 4th grade general studies teacher Mr. Badard taught me that learning was more than just grammar or math. He taught me to be my own person.
-Liz Tortolani, 32, Park Slope

‘KNOWLEDGEABLE’

The most important quality is knowledge of the subject matter. My favorite teachers in high school had their Masters in math and English, not education. They were fantastic teachers because they were trained in what they were teaching us. I remember the first day of class Mrs. Parker-Davis made us raise our right hand and swear to never use Cliffs Notes. Later, I got my doctorate in English Literature, and while many of my colleagues made good money writing Cliffs Notes, I remembered my promise to Mrs. Davis. I didn’t want to violate the spirit of what she taught me.
-Ben, 31, Manhattan

‘UNDERSTANDING’

A great teacher is one who understands students’ ability to learn, and how they learn. An effective teacher is involved beyond the classroom. I have one student in my school with a brain tumor, and the teacher is willing to go to her house…the teacher makes a sacrifice above and beyond their job. My favorite teacher was my high school basketball coach James Baird. My dad had cancer at the time and Mr. Baird used basketball to divert my attention from something bad to something positive.
-Harry Leonardatos, 43, Principal, Clarkstown High School North, New City, NY

‘ENCOURAGING’

…encourages students to ask questions. I still repeat this line to people—“There is no such thing as a stupid question.” My favorite teacher was my high school Chemistry teacher Mr. Dietz. He had a great sense of humor, and nothing could ruffle him. He got me interested in chemistry, and I’m a liberal arts person.
-Joan Mayer, 51, Manhattan

Someone who is creative, teaches with patience and has respect for their students. The teacher who stood out for me was a math teacher, just because I hate math, but she got through to me. She was cranky and edgy, but she was able to motivate me.
-Joe Dobkin, 25, Manhattan

‘HONEST’

A teacher doesn’t have to be well liked, but has to say the truth. My favorite teacher was Mr. Gill in Graduate School–If he didn’t like our work, he would just say it’s not interesting. He always criticized our work…I liked that he was honest.
-Chiunghui Chiu, 30, Brooklyn

‘RESPECTFUL’

Someone who knows how to talk to students as people… My favorite teacher was Mr. Lombardo, 12th grade. He taught cartooning. He told me to follow my dreams, and helped me pick a college in graphic design.
-Peter Batista, 31, Brooklyn

‘ALL OF THE ABOVE’

You have to be very patient, organized, flexible; a life-long learner; get along with your colleagues; not be too hard on yourself; recognize that you can give kids different things and get them where they need to be; not expect all kids to march to the beat at the same time. My favorite teacher in high school was incredibly organized, and kept us in order. She gave feedback right away and brought learning to life. She controlled the class through expectations. She was strong but fair. She’s the reason I became a teacher. Every summer I take her out for lunch.
-Professor David Connor, Associate Professor of Special Education/Learning Disabilities, Hunter, NY

Someone who is highly reflective, and who is able to adapt quickly. A person who is focused on setting personal challenges and doing what it takes to overcome them. A person who cares deeply about children but also recognizes that what a child needs is a solid education, and the focus must be academic in order to succeed.
-Carey Swanson, 29, K-4 Academic Director, Explore Charter School, Flatbush, Brooklyn

Someone who has passion for the students and for learning; who always puts the students’ needs first and looks for any way to get students to succeed; willing to grow professionally; try new things in the classroom; use data to drive instruction; good communication and relationship-building with students, parents and other teachers.
-Brooke Workman, 29, K-4 Special Education teacher, Explore Charter School, Flatbush, Brooklyn

Share your own reminiscences and comments about what makes a teacher great, below.

Watch the entire documentary of Where We Stand, about teachers, schools, and the current state of education in the U.S., here.

Author: Elyse Eisenberg