Crock’s Thoughts

The real MVPs of society don’t need spotlights. Some wear chalk dust, drink cold coffee, and have a nervous twitch from hearing the phrase, “Is this going to be on the test?”

So what makes a great teacher?

Sure, anyone can hand out worksheets, recite the textbook, or launch into a 47-slide PowerPoint with transitions so fancy it looks like Spielberg directed it. But the truly great ones? They do something far more powerful—they tell stories.

A great teacher can turn the Cold War into a nail-biting Netflix thriller, or make algebra sound like a quest for treasure. Their classroom becomes a stage, their whiteboard a canvas, and their dry-erase marker a magic wand—usually missing the cap and slowly drying out, but still magical.

They’re humble enough to say, “You know what? I don’t know.” And then they actually look it up, instead of doing that teacher move where they just redirect your question into a philosophical black hole like, “Well… what do you think the mitochondria represents in your life?”

Great teachers don’t pretend to be walking encyclopedias. They’re not afraid to say, “Let me get back to you,” and then come back the next day with answers—and maybe snacks. Okay, fine… probably just the answers, but snacks would be cool, too.

They care about their students. I mean really care. Not the fake, “Oh sweetie, I hope you do better on the next test” kind of care, but the genuine, “You’re more than a grade, now sit down and eat something, you look pale” kind of care. The kind of care where they notice when you’re off. The kind that remembers your name… and somehow also your dog’s name.

And patience? Oh, patience. Saints could take notes. Great teachers will explain the same concept 47 different ways without setting the classroom on fire. They’ll smile while listening to a student’s sixth theory on why Pluto should still be a planet, or nod thoughtfully as someone asks if Shakespeare was secretly an alien. I’m sure he wasn’t… probably.

They’re part counselor, part motivational speaker, part cat wrangler, and part human Google search bar.

So what makes a teacher great?

Stories. Humility. Compassion. Patience.

And okay, maybe a laser pointer. Let’s not pretend those aren’t awesome.

To all the great teachers out there: thank you for being the kind of weird, wonderful wizards who change lives one awkward, beautiful, educational moment at a time.