A Happy Teacher

Something happens to me as August looms.  Summer brain gets a message from somewhere telling it that its time lying horizontally binging The Bear will soon come to an end.  It will be replaced with time in a classroom with students who want to learn physics (feel free to substitute 'want to' with 'need to', or even 'have to', it really varies).

I came across a wonderful quote from a famous physicist today.  It made me stop and look forward to the academic year ahead: 

"Students don't need a perfect teacher.  They need a happy teacher who's going to make them excited to come to school and grow a love for learning."    - Richard Feynman

As someone whose teaching style has been described as 'jolly', this quote is reassuring.  There are days where a class goes exactly to plan and others that fall flat, but if the teacher can exude positivity, then there is a chance the students will follow suit, creating conditions for a great experience.

Feynman was one of the leading physicists of the twentieth century, making major contributions to our understanding of quantum physics.  He seems to have been a mixed bag of intelligence and quirkiness.  His most famous book, Surely your Joking, Mr Feynman! reveals all sides of his character, from the very bright to the very eccentric.  But back to his statement about teaching...

Teaching is one of many professions where a positive attitude gets you much of the way there.  You still need to sweat the details, but there should be no sense of dread should the class feel distracted on a Thursday afternoon lecture.  My teacher's guidebook goes as follows:

• Have empathy
• Build trust
• Establish connection
• Be supportive
• Provide ample feedback
• Encourage participation
• Promote curiosity

Every teacher has access to content they can disseminate to their students.  Every teacher should hone their pedagogical approach.  But a class can only work so well if a wall exists between teacher and student.  I think any teacher who does the things in the checklist above can get their class where they need to get.

I was once at a teacher's conference, where the audience was asked to think of their favourite teachers, and what made them stand out.  It was rarely their brilliance or their pedagogy - it was their humanity.  In keeping with that spirit, I will adopt the mantra, "Positivity over perfection," this semester.  Now, to finish The Bear.