an ideal teacher

Have you ever seen “Dead Poets Society”? I watched this movie once again this weekend and it inspired me to ask myself about the characteristics of an ideal teacher.

As far as I am concerned, an ideal teacher has many qualities. The effect of his personality on students should last long. He is a person who is loved and respected by every student. He should try to establish a kind of bond between the hearts and minds of himself and his pupils. And this type of  teacher was Mr. Keating, one of the main characters in the movie “Dead Poets Society”.

From the beginning, this English professor had a good relationship with his students. After the first lesson, boys were surprised, curious, and fascinated by him. They admired his different way of teaching and the way he made them think for themselves. John Keating was challenging the students to live life, not to just automatically go along with what they are told. Ripping out the introduction to their poetry textbook, standing on their desks to look at the world in a different way or kicking soccer balls while yelling poetry aloud – these unorthodox teaching methods demonstrated freedom of expression and non-conformity.

Moreover, Mr. Keating was the only person at the school whom this students trusted. They talked to him about their problems and treated him like a friend. He was not only interested in learning and in results. His students were important to him and he has also the special relationship with his pupils. All in all, although in others’ eyes, Mr. Keating was a bad teacher, I strongly believe that these students learned more than they had learned in their whole life.

Here you have a fragment of the movie. Can you imagine this way of teaching in Poland? According to you, what should the ideal teacher be like?