Yhem Speaks

What makes a teacher great?

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We often look to degrees, discipline, or delivery but what if the greatest teachers are those who never stop learning? As an educator and author, I’ve discovered that staying teachable is the most powerful lesson of all.

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Every now and then, someone asks me, “What makes a good teacher?”

I’ve reflected on this; not just from standing in front of a classroom or writing pages of lesson plans, but from living through the moments where real teaching happens: in a student’s spark of understanding, in the stumble after a failed attempt, and in the stillness of honest reflection. There is always something to learn from those moments.

And this is the answer I keep coming back to: “A good teacher never stops being a student”.

That’s it.
Simple but not always easy.

The teachers who truly shape lives aren’t the ones with the fanciest tools or the flashiest presentations. They are the ones who are still growing. Still asking questions. Still curious. Still open to change.

I’ve learned over the years that my most meaningful impact doesn’t come from what I know, but from how I grow. The more I learn, the more I teach with empathy. The more I listen, the better I reach hearts. And the more I reflect, the deeper my connection with students becomes.

Teaching from a place of humility and lifelong learning sends a message:
You don’t have to be perfect to make progress. You just have to be willing.

That’s the kind of teacher I strive to be not just someone who passes on knowledge, but someone who models the courage to keep evolving. Because in the end, we aren’t just delivering lessons.
We are the lesson.

So, what makes a good teacher?

Not just a title.
Not a method.
Not even decades of experience.

A good teacher is a lifelong learner. Someone who teaches with their life, not just their words.

And I hope when my students think of me, they remember not how much I knew, but how much I kept growing.