In the TEDTalk, “What Makes a Good Teacher Great?

”, by Azul Terronez, he talked about his

obsession to the question “What Makes a Good Teacher Great?”, how he is still puzzled with it,

and the various responses of the students he asked. The main points of his speech revolved round

the lessons he learned from the responses of the students and the importance of listening to

connect and understand the direct and indirect messages the students want to convey.

His delivery was very natural and light. His choice of words is simple yet impactful. He
connected well with the audience. One thing that I noticed is that he did not move from his place,
although he was turning every now and then. He could have used his body movements to
complement and emphasize his message and better reach the audience sitting far from him.

He highlighted the importance of listening to the students and the importance of understanding
their language and ways of delivery. Some of the key points Azul Terronez emphasized are: (1)
The teacher should be willing to learn. Students seek teachers that are more than just subject
matter specialists. Students may be more receptive to information if the teacher can relate to
where they are at in the learning process. (2) Teachers should be humble. Set pride aside and take
chances. Teachers need to take risks and try new things with the potential for failure if they want
to keep their students interested. (3) Teachers should understand life outside of school. Pay close
attention to the students in the class and attempt to comprehend any difficulties they may be
experiencing outside of the classroom. A child's academic achievement can frequently be
impacted by a challenging home environment. and (4) Teachers should be calm. Students will
feel more confident in the teachers’ leadership if he/she maintains his/her composure in a chaotic
setting. The students want a teacher that is in charge and won't add to the tension in the
classroom. He stressed the need to intentionally listen to our students by asking questions that
will help us understand what they need to enable the teachers to have a more engaging school
environment which in turn would enrich learning.

Azul Terronez’s talk provides valuable understanding into the minds of all grade levels. Learning
is not only for the students but for the educators as well. Azul Terronez’ collected 26,000
responses from eight different schools of various societal levels, hence there is a representation
of wider school community. Teachers should always ask themselves, “Are we attempting to
understand our students?”. Azul Terronez emphasized the value of hearing and listening to the
students. To be a successful teacher, one must learn how to speak the language of children and
understand what they are trying to communicate. Children have their own unique method of
communicating. Asking a straightforward inquiry to the students, such as, "What makes a good
teacher great?" has shown to be an effective method for learning and developing as a teacher.

BUSINESS DOCUMENT This document is intended for business use and should be distributed to intended recipients only.
 2
PROFESSIONAL CRITIQUE
Knowing your material well is only one aspect of becoming a great teacher. Accepting
responsibility for knowing the students and discovering what they require of the teacher, is just
as important.

BUSINESS DOCUMENT This document is intended for business use and should be distributed to intended recipients only.
 3
PROFESSIONAL CRITIQUE
In the TEDTalk, “What Makes a Good Teacher Great?”, by Azul Terronez, he talked about his
obsession with the question “What Makes a Good Teacher Great?”, how he is still puzzled by it,
and the various responses of the students he asked. The main points of his speech revolved
around the lessons he learned from the responses of the students and the importance of listening
to connect and understand the direct and indirect messages the students want to convey.

His delivery was very natural and light. His choice of words is simple yet impactful. He
connected well with the audience. One thing that I noticed is that he did not move from his place,
although he was turning now and then. He could have used his body movements to complement
and emphasize his message and better reach the audience sitting far from him.

He highlighted the importance of listening to the students and the importance of understanding
their language and ways of delivery. Some of the key points Azul Terronez emphasized are: (1)
The teacher should be willing to learn. Students seek teachers that are more than just subject
matter specialists. Students may be more receptive to information if the teacher can relate to
where they are at in the learning process. (2) Teachers should be humble. Set pride aside and take
chances. Teachers need to take risks and try new things with the potential for failure if they want
to keep their students interested. (3) Teachers should understand life outside of school. Pay close
attention to the students in the class and attempt to comprehend any difficulties they may be
experiencing outside of the classroom. A child's academic achievement can frequently be
impacted by a challenging home environment. and (4) Teachers should be calm. Students will
feel more confident in the teacher’s leadership if he/she maintains his/her composure in a chaotic
setting. The students want a teacher that is in charge and won't add to the tension in the
classroom. He stressed the need to intentionally listen to our students by asking questions that
will help us understand what they need to enable the teachers to have a more engaging school
environment which in turn would enrich learning.

Azul Terronez’s talk provides valuable understanding into the minds of all grade levels. Learning
is not only for the students but for the educators as well. Azul Terronez’ collected 26,000
responses from eight different schools of various societal levels, hence there is a representation
of the wider school community. Teachers should always ask themselves, “Are we attempting to
understand our students?”. Azul Terronez emphasized the value of hearing and listening to the
students. To be a successful teacher, one must learn how to speak the language of children and
understand what they are trying to communicate. Children have their unique methods of
communicating. Asking a straightforward inquiry to the students, such as, "What makes a good
teacher great?" has shown to be an effective method for learning and developing as a teacher.
Knowing your material well is only one aspect of becoming a great teacher. Accepting
responsibility for knowing the students and discovering what they require of the teacher, is just
as important.

BUSINESS DOCUMENT This document is intended for business use and should be distributed to intended recipients only.