December 22, 2012
Saturday PM

I have to disagree with Mike Hanley's comments about what makes a teacher great. It seems that his comments are more politically driven finger pointing than anything else.

I firmly believe that most people that have a teacher from their school days they remember as great, think not of the academic outcome of the class, but rather think of the genuine love and kindness expressed and exhibited by that teacher. A teacher that instilled in the student a desire to learn. A teacher that made their students feel important. A teacher that did everything they could to help their students understand the topics at hand.

Those are the great teachers. A great teacher cares for their students. A great teacher wants their students to succeed, but is more concerned with sending common sense out into the world rather than a final grade. This doesn't mean they ignore grades, but they look at the individual student and do what they can to help him/her grow and become better people, ready for the 'real world' as some call it.

Chris Barry
Ketchikan, AK

About: "Ketchikan Resident. Someone with common sense."

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