The World Needs More Great Teachers

And it’s not for the reasons you think we do

I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.

― John Steinbeck

Who is the best teacher you’ve ever had?

Maybe they taught you world history, maybe they taught you how to write better essays, or maybe they taught you how to count to 100 in French. No matter who you are thinking of, I would bet all my money that your favourite teacher made learning enjoyable, that they respected you, and that they believed in you. I am also certain that because of this, you trusted them. You let them change your mind. You grew.

We sorely need more great teachers in this world. But not for the reasons most people think we do.

Beyond the need for us all to help close the growing skills gap, over 50% of Americans believe in at least one conspiracy theory, 40% of white Americans still don’t support the Black Lives Matter movement, and nearly a third of Americans still don’t believe in climate change.

Simply canceling people whose opinions we don’t agree with, or expecting social media companies to curb the spread of misinformation, is not going to do the trick. We need great teachers not just in K12 classrooms and higher education institutions, but in workplaces and on the streets.

Learning shouldn’t end when we finish formal education. Journalists are teachers. Designers are teachers. The best artists and authors and actors are teachers. You too should see yourself as a teacher. We all have daily opportunities to truly teach others. Yet most of us haven’t learned any of the tools and techniques that teachers use to inspire students and meet learning objectives in the curriculum.

I’ve been studying the best methods for teaching adults for several years, and practicing what I’ve learned every chance I get. You can read more about what I’ve learned in the Teaching 101 article I wrote, as well as this one about the four best techniques to teach adults.

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