What makes great teaching?

        If you walked up to someone right now and asked them "Who was your favorite teacher?" I bet it would take them no longer than five seconds to answer. However, if you went up to the same person and asked them "Who was your least favorite teacher?" they could probably come up with an answer with no hesitation. So the question is: what are the qualities a teacher must possess in order to become someone's favorite. On the other hand, what are some qualities a teacher must avoid in order not to become someone's least favorite teacher? The answer is simple. Great teaching directly correlates to how much a teacher cares for their students. If a teacher cares enough, it does not matter what kind of strategies or helping hands she uses, her students will benefit from her all the same. However, a teacher who doe not care could use all the strategies in the world, and still not do her students an ounce of good. Of course, this is just a disclaimer because I do love a good strategy or two. So let's say that we are going to be teachers who care and use great strategies to help us out. I am going to post the list of my top 5 favorite strategies I have learned throughout the semester. Please keep in mind, that I use checklists like they are my lifeline on a day-to-day basis. A day when I do not have a checklist is a day when I do not get anything done. With that being said, nearly all of my favorite strategies require you to jot down a list of some sort, so if checklists are not your cup of tea this list might not be something you are interested in.