For 24 years, the speaker, Azul Terronez, has been obsessed with one fundamental question: "What makes a good teacher great?". He has gathered an astounding 26,000 responses to this query, collected from a diverse range of educational settings – from the most deprived schools in Los Angeles to suburban institutions in Texas, and even elite private schools abroad. Despite the sheer volume of answers, he admits he remains perplexed by the question.What he has learned, however, is that often, schools...
The Secret Language of Apples and Chill
One of the most profound, yet seemingly silly, answers the speaker ever received was: "A great teacher eats apples". Initially, he dismissed it as nonsense, but when it kept appearing, he realised there had to be more to it. His experiment of actually eating apples led to a powerful discovery: students would smile, offer him apples, and it wasn’t until much later that he grasped the true meaning.The apple, it turned out, was a symbol for the relationship. It represented...
The Learning Teacher
Among the many responses collected, a significant pattern emerged: when asked what makes a good teacher great, students often said, "A great teacher loves to teach." However, 70 percent of the time, that quote or answer was followed by: "A great teacher loves to learn".This insight is particularly significant because students don't observe this happening. They see teachers instructing, but they wish their teachers would learn alongside them. This is contrary to how teachers are typically hired – as content...
Beyond the Traditional Teacher
Another striking response Terronez received was: "A great teacher isn't a teacher". Initially, this was offensive to him, as he identified strongly as a teacher. However, he soon understood what students were trying to convey: a great teacher isn't confined to the classroom.Think about an enduring thing you possess – something you learned and still use today, like riding a bike. Terronez recalled learning to ride a bike at age five when his mother simply pushed him until he could...
The Empathic Educator Who Truly Listens
Students also conveyed that "A great teacher understands that they have a life outside of school". This isn't just about acknowledging their existence; it's about recognising that their life in school is significantly different from their life beyond its walls.Terronez shared the story of Yvette, a student with a tough reputation who initially intimidated him. Over time, Yvette became a great leader in the classroom, excelling in homework and participation. So, when she suddenly stopped turning in her homework, Terronez...
Humility, Risk, and the Singing Teacher
One of the most perplexing answers Terronez received year after year was: "A great teacher sings". But he couldn't sing, and the answer mystified him for a decade. The meaning only became clear when Danny, the class clown, included it in his otherwise serious responses.The next day, instead of simply reading the daily agenda seriously, Terronez decided to sing it in a grand, operatic style. The students' eyes widened, their mouths dropped, and then, to his surprise, the classroom erupted...
Summary
The Future is in ListeningTerronez argues that schools should fundamentally rethink how they hire and train teachers. Instead of solely seeking "deep understanders of content" or "knowledge keepers," he posits a transformative idea: what if we hired teachers to be deep understanders of students?A significant barrier to this transformation is the glaring absence of formal listening instruction in education. Students spend years learning to read and write, and perhaps a semester on public speaking, but receive "virtual zero years of...
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About the Author
Azul Terronez is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and renowned book coach who helps entrepreneurs and thought leaders turn their ideas into impactful books. A former English teacher who discovered his dyslexia in college, Azul transformed his challenges into motivation—writing his first book, The Art of Apprenticeship, in just 30 days after a student’s question inspired him. Since then, he has coached hundreds of authors, including industry leaders like Pat Flynn and Jadah Sellner, and his TEDx talk, What Makes a Good Teacher Great?, has garnered over 4 million views.
More on: https://authorswholead.com
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