People sometimes ask me what I think makes a teacher great. After years in the classroom and a lifetime of detours that led me here, I’ve come to believe it has very little to do with textbooks or lesson plans and everything to do with the life you’ve lived before you ever stand in front of a class.
I wasn’t always a teacher. In fact, for most of my professional life, I was something else entirely. I bring that ‘something else’ with me to my classroom every single day, and I believe it’s the most important thing I have to offer my students.
You Can’t Fake Real-World Passion
I teach English and journalism, and I love it. But my passion for it doesn’t come from a college course. It comes from smelling the ink in the newsroom at my dad’s newspaper as a kid. It was forged editing copy at a daily newspaper in Texas and later serving as the editor for a monthly nonprofit magazine. When I talk to my students about the power of a clear, compelling sentence, I’m not just referencing a style guide. I’m remembering the real-world impact of words — the ability to inform, persuade, and connect people — that I witnessed for decades. I believe my students sense that. They know I’m not just teaching a subject; I’m sharing a craft that I’ve lived and breathed.
A Teacher Needs the Heart of a Minister
Before I became a teacher, I spent years at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church, where I was, among other things, the minister to youth and children. That job taught me that the most important work happens when you build genuine connections. It’s about more than just delivering a message; it’s about caring for the person in front of you, understanding their struggles, and celebrating their victories. My faith is the most important thing in my life, and it taught me that our primary role is to serve. I carry that directly into my classroom. Teaching is an act of service. It’s about guiding and mentoring, about shaping character as much as it is about delivering curriculum.
Life-Tested Empathy is a Superpower
Life is rarely a straight line. Mine certainly hasn’t been. I’ve experienced the joy of marriage and the pain of divorce. I’ve felt the immense pride of raising my daughter, Lizzi, and the overwhelming new love of being a grandfather to her son, Sully. I’ve navigated profound, lifelong friendships, like the one I have with my best friend, Scott, and I’ve weathered the deep grief of losing my parents.
Those experiences—the good, the bad, and the heartbreaking—are what allow me to see my students as whole people. When a student is acting out or struggling to focus, my life has taught me to look beyond the behavior and wonder what’s happening in their world. That empathy, forged through a life of real challenges and real joys, is one of the most critical tools a teacher can possess.
So, what makes a teacher great?
It’s the sum of all their parts. It’s the ability to bring their whole, complicated, messy, and beautiful life into the classroom. It’s the journalist, the Air Force specialist, the minister, the father, and the grandfather standing there, sharing not just what they know, but who they are. My winding path wasn’t a detour from teaching; it was the road that led me right to it.
Copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt
