One of the best ways to gain insight into what makes learning engaging is to ask people about who was their favorite/most memorable teacher. This can be someone who taught them at any level in any subject, but please limit it to a teacher in a school setting, rather than, for example, a parent or famous person.
First, you need to answer the question for yourself. As you write about your favorite teacher, first indicate when you learned with this teacher and what the person taught. Then, more importantly, delve into what that teacher did that made him or her so memorable. Be as specific as possible. Avoid generalities like “She made me feel good about myself,†for example, by figuring out what the teacher DID that made you feel good about yourself. (One developed paragraph)
Next, interview three different people. They can be any three people with whom you can have an individual conversation – family members, children, friends, etc. Have each of them answer the same question: who was your favorite / most memorable teacher and why. (Please do not merely email or text the question; it is through asking questions and drawing out stories that you will gain insight into what made each teacher special. Besides, this is a time when a parent, grandparent, other relative, or friend needs to hear you voice!) You do not need to provide a word by word transcript; instead, capture the high points of what each person says. Please try to get them to provide specific examples. (One fully developed paragraph for each of the three people)
Finally, reflect on what you have learned from your own memories and from your three interviews. What commonalities are there about the four teachers? What might you conclude about what makes a teacher engaging and memorable? How might this impact your own career as a teacher? (One fully developed paragraph)
