What Makes You A Great Teacher?

I buy my Gillette razor blades and shaving cream for a reason: they work way better than other products I’ve tried. The blades (usually) don’t try and rip holes in my neck, and I can usually make them last a bit longer than 30 days before I need to replace them. The gel: same deal. It just lasts longer than other products I’ve tried. It goes on easy, and does a great job of keeping my skin protected.

USP (unique selling points): Razor: Lasts a long time. Reliable. Not vicious.  Gel: Lasts a long time. Spreads easy. Does it’s job every time.

What do shaving gel and razor blades have to do with teaching mojo? Nothing, and everything. The thing is, I know exactly why I buy those products. (Just let you know why.) Thinking about Brand You and Mojo: why do your students buy you?

Mindshift: think of yourself as a product. A brand.  Chances are, you’ll NOT remain in the same company or school all your life. You’ll change careers or jump from one physical location to another multiple times. Don’t make the mistake of having your company/school/career be what defines you. (Cus they’ll likely change at some point.)

Instead, be sure about who you are. If you’re a teacher now, and from here on out I’ll assume you are, why not try thinking about who you are as a teacher. What makes you special vs every other teacher around you? What do you know you do a great job at? What are your USPs as a teacher? And finally, if you were to make a commercial about you and your product of teaching, what do you envision you’d see on the screen?

My 15 word USP

I help adults speak English fearlessly by working on material that matters deeply to them.

There you go. That’s my brand. I know this to be true, for two reasons: 1) I decided that this is who I wanted to be as a teacher. I’ve experienced working in English companies where the only thing that mattered was the money each student represented. (That sucked.) I’ve also worked in places where the only thing that mattered was the school’s outdated material. (It didn’t matter if  it wasn’t relevant or useful for the student.)  2) I know this is my brand, because my students have told me. (They are my customers.)

These experiences helped shape my vision of who and how I wanted to be as a teacher. They have also helped brew my Mojo (magic) as a teacher.

I like to think of my mojo as being able to get to know my students on pretty personal levels, and using that relationship to bring content and themes which have long lasting impact on their personal/professional life in some way. (While at the same time, helping them use English without fear. )  No, not every day is a magical experience. There are some days where it’s just really hard to teach and engage with my students. That happens to everyone – it’s part of working with human beings. But those days should be the exception – not the rule.

The mojo should be the rule, or at least it should be what happens most frequently.

Get the Mojo – Not sure what your teaching Mojo is? Think it’s gotten rusty? Why not take a few days and begin reinventing yourself and your brand.

Your teaching USPs:

1. What do you KNOW you do a great job at? (Maybe you’re a Jedi master at explaining grammar in ways so the rest of us can get it.)

2. What do you KNOW you do better than other teachers around you? (Not competition – everyone excels at something though.)

3.  Have your students told you that you’re really good at _______________ ?

4. What would you like yourself to be known for as a teacher? And what are you doing today to make that a reality?

5. Can you write a 15 word USP statement about yourself as a teacher?

Share it! If you feel brave enough, why not drop a comment about what your USPs are.

Photo by NeoGaboX