Who was your most influential teacher? Why?
Influential teachers focus on their pupils/students futures and help them discover and improve their strengths and passions. They support their potential. My most influential teacher was my German language teacher in the German highschool I went to in 2014-2015. He inspired me to continue writing, a passion that I always had but was downplayed by my previous teachers.
Still Waters Run Deep
This was the most intellectual and sophisticated German language teacher that I ever had. One quote he wrote down in the assessment of an essay was, “Still waters run deep”. This motivated me to use writing to share everything that is hidden in the deepest corners of my soul. Things, that I could not share through speaking, due to my introverted nature.
The role of influential teachers should always be to inspire and motivate young people to become the best versions of themselves. Unfortunately, teachers mostly only share knowledge with no personal/close relationship to their students. They do not interact with them on a personal level to get to know them deeper and try to get out the best of them. This is what my influential German teacher did. He understood me and helped me believe in myself and the passion I have for literature and writing. I thank him wholeheartedly for that.
students and inspirational masters
Students are always motivated and inspired by their masters. Teachers are not always masters of their craft but they can take on the role of a master. I have heard many people complain that they had lost interest for their favorite school subject because of the teacher. On the contrary, I heard stories of influential teachers who made subjects even more interesting. As a result, active participation of young students in a subject increased and grades improved.
Influential Teachers Dive Into the Personal Level
Another positive characteristic of an influential teacher is his ability to read their students and to adapt to their subjective strengths and weaknesses. In addition, he should be able to show that he understands his students. When my teacher added, “Still waters run deep” into the assessment of my essay, he showed me that he sees and understands an essential part of myself, my introversion. From that point on, I could trust him and felt more comfortable walking into the classroom during this subject. A teacher holds great responsibility and power in his hands. He can inspire or discourage a student to a great extent.