What Makes a Great Teacher? Hint: It’s Not Just Knowledge
The best educators aren’t the ones who claim to have all the answers—they’re the ones who keep asking questions.
One of the biggest myths about teaching is that the best educators are the ones who “know it all.”
The ones who can answer every question on the spot, who never hesitate, who always seem to have the perfect example at hand.
But in reality, the best teachers I know aren’t the ones who never doubt themselves—they’re the ones who are open to questioning, growing, and learning alongside their students.
The Humility of Great Educators
Paulo Freire, one of the most influential voices in education, famously argued that teaching should never be a one-way transfer of knowledge from teacher to student:
“Whoever teaches learns in the act of teaching, and whoever learns teaches in the act of learning.”
―Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of Freedom: Ethics, Democracy, and Civic Courage
Freire saw education as a collaborative process, one where the teacher isn’t an unquestionable authority but an engaged participant. His belief that students have knowledge to contribute—and that teachers must be willing to listen and adapt—remains one of the most powerful ideas in education today.
bell hooks, a groundbreaking educator, feminist, and cultural critic who championed radical pedagogy, critical thinking, and the power of education as a means of liberation, reinforced this in Teaching to Transgress, emphasizing that teaching should be a dynamic process, where educators are constantly rethinking their methods, questioning their biases, and learning from their students. She believed that a rigid, top-down teaching model stifles both curiosity and genuine growth.
“Any classroom that employs a holistic model of learning will also be a place where teachers grow, and are empowered by the process. That empowerment cannot happen if we refuse to be vulnerable while encouraging students to take risks. […] In my classrooms, I do not expect students to take any risks that I would not take, to share in any way that I would not share.”
― bell hooks, Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom
hooks’ perspective reminds us that the most transformative classrooms are built on trust, mutual respect, and the willingness to embrace uncertainty. When educators create spaces where both teachers and students feel safe to take intellectual risks, learning becomes a shared journey rather than a rigid transaction. This approach not only deepens engagement but also models the very curiosity and critical thinking we hope to cultivate in our students.
Lessons From the Classroom
In my own journey as a teacher, I’ve had moments where I felt the pressure to be the all-knowing expert. But time and time again, it was the moments of curiosity, humility, and genuine dialogue with students that made the biggest impact.
The times when a student’s unexpected question forced me to rethink a concept.
The moments when I admitted, I don’t know, but let’s find out together.
The lessons where I experimented with new approaches, sometimes failing, but always learning.
Yesterday, at the end of a lesson, a teacher told me he had finally grasped a concept that, before that lesson, seemed confusing to him. He sememed genuinely thankful for the lesson.
I closed the zoom room thinking that, were it not for his questions, for his contributions, and for all the questions and contributions I've had these past years, I would never be abe to teach that lesson in that way. I would never be the teacher I am today. For what seems to truly shine when I teach is exactly what I didn't learn from books.
Anyone can read concepts, create slides, and read them to students. What makes me, what makes any of us the teachers we are is our ability to listen. In every question, in every expression of doubt, in every insight there is something for us. To help us reshape and refine our practice.
The amazing things we learn when we listen! I should be thanking him.
The best teachers aren’t the ones with all the answers. They’re the ones who embrace the questions. They stay open to new perspectives, new methodologies, and even new mistakes.
If there’s one takeaway from all this, it’s that no teacher ever “arrives.” Teaching is not about reaching a point where you finally know enough—it’s about staying engaged in the process of learning.
So, the next time you feel unsure about something in the classroom, take it as a sign that you’re doing it right.
Because the best educators are, above all else, lifelong learners.