Do you ever find yourself sitting in a classroom watching the clock tick, wondering why your brain is having difficulty processing the information being spewed at you? When your grumpy teacher loads you with work and fast paced learning, which in some scenarios is understandable, but not properly executed, how do you learn? What about when teachers are cruel to you and try to demotivate your ambitions? There are so many unmeasurable factors when it comes to the impacts of a teacher, but nevertheless, they’re all significant.

When a teacher — whether it be elementary, middle, or high school — is presented with a class, it should be obvious that their way of teaching will follow the student for a lifetime. Imagine some scenarios with me:

You’re a high school student with a bad math teacher. If this teacher fails to inadequately teach you, and you go into college or a profession related to that subject, your world will be harder.

You’re an art student and your teacher tells you that your art is beyond saving! Discouragement, especially by someone you spend so much time with learning from can make you lose your passion for that subject. It can change the course of your life in your future decisions.

Now, say you’re in psychology, and your teacher is supportive and fun even through a tough workload, your understanding of the subject will still be good. The learning environment, including your teacher’s attitude, can help a student feel comfortable. With comfort, information will be processed better, and you’ll leave the class feeling fulfilled if you also gave it your portion of work.

Speaking of the environment, that’s also crucial. The way a teacher organizes their environment can impact a student’s ability to learn. If a room is disorganized, a student may feel uneasy. As we discussed earlier, uneasiness can inhibit processing abilities. If the room is dark and comfortable, the students will fall asleep! If the environment is clean, bright enough to keep you awake, spacious enough to be comfortable, the student will also feel easy enough to grasp more concepts!

It’s crucial that a teacher considers all these factors when preparing for the school year. They’re our adult figures, and their actions — whether small or big — have an impact on us nonetheless.