As I start a new semester, I am realizing how much of a difference a good teacher makes in what students get out of a course. Last semester I was dealt quite a diverse hand of teachers that made my classes, overall, less than enjoyable. I was really looking forward to coming to college to network and connect with professors and last semester I wasn't able to accomplish that goal as I had hoped. I hate to say it, but there are some people that are just really bad teachers. At the same time, there are teachers out there that aren't necessarily bad, they just aren't going to click with everyone.
That being said, I'm not willing to let the cons outweigh the pros. Having to deal with bad professors was a good learning experience for me as a pre-teacher and it makes me more appreciative of the professors I have this semester. I was especially worried about all the general education classes I had to take this semester (writing, some sort of insects class...) but they have all turned out much better than expected thanks to the professors.
As I mentioned this to others, almost everyone I talked to can relate. Everyone has had a bad teacher at some point and everyone has had a really good teacher. In almost every case, the student has been more motivated to learn with the better teacher. I have even known college students to change their field of study because of a teacher.
When I am a teacher, this is an important lesson to remember. I will be the one that makes a difference in my students' learning. It is my job to engage them and make them interested in the subject. It is my job to make the material relatable and present it in a clear fashion. Teachers have a large influence over students, so being the best teacher I can be at every given point is extremely important and probably equally challenging.
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