Over the past two school years my oldest son has shown himself to be a slow starter in his classes. As a new semester begins each Fall and Spring, he inevitably begins to fall behind on his math and reading. Fortunately, he is very bright and with a little extra parental input, he closes the gap and finishes strong. Two weeks ago as he wrapped up the second grade, I couldn’t help but contrast his first and second grade teachers. One of these educators was agitated and almost at her wits’ ends with him on a weekly basis the entire year. Thankfully, the other year’s teacher was the exact opposite. While she still held this child to a high standard while clearly communicating where he was lagging behind, she stayed positive and acted like she believed in him and was on his side. Not surprisingly, as the school year unfolded, he flourished under the latter teacher while struggling under the first one. 

While the success of a student depends greatly on effort, as well as some on ability, the teacher plays a huge role as well. Beyond school, this is the case in other areas of life. Whether it be work, finances, or beyond, learning from someone else’s expertise can make all the difference. As author James Clear puts it, “One of the only true shortcuts in life is finding an expert and apprenticing under them”. So, what are a few key marks of a teacher worth studying under?

A Few Marks

1. Selflessness- It’s incredibly difficult to learn from someone who is not eager to teach. Some people go about their day looking to invest in growing others. They GIVE. Others go about things with a closed off mindset. They GET. Not all students will be easy to teach. Selfless leaders work hard to form fit their teaching in a way that will benefit each individual in their sphere of influence.
2. Expertise- As James Clear mentioned above, someone must have a certain level of mastery in order to effectively teach others. Apprenticing under a random person who knows even less than you do is a waste of time. Experience + intentionality = expertise. Before one can teach, they must first learn. This takes years or even decades.
3. Optimism- Teaching others takes time and often does not follow a linear path. Some people learn slowly at first and then it accelerates. Others are the opposite. A good teacher must maintain a glass half full mindset, otherwise they will give up on their students. Optimism makes every area of life better, and this is certainly the case in the realm of apprenticeship. 
4. Enthusiasm- There’s nothing worse than trying to learn from a person who seems bored by their entire subject matter. Whether it be management, baseball, accounting, or any of real-life subjects, bringing an enthusiastic outlook always makes a difference. It’s hard to take energy and engagement. Great teachers are the real deal and it shows in how they approach passing along information to those under their tutelage.

In Closing

Who is apprenticing under you? How effective are you at displaying these marks of a great teacher? Who are you apprenticing under? Are they worth following?