The “Who” of Teaching

This chapter describes the “who” of teaching and why it is so crucial for teachers to have when establishing an excellent teaching practice. The “who” of teaching describes how teachers must develop a deep awareness of who they are, how they present, what their biases are and where their blind spots lie, to best serve the diversity of students in their care. To develop an empathetic and durable racial, cultural, and social awareness, teachers must also build their social and emotional capacity to handle and absorb all the emotional and social demands of the job. Knowing who one is as a person allows one to be authentic as a teacher, thereby helping them establish stronger relationships with students. This chapter reminds or informs readers that teaching is as much who they are as it’s what they teach and how they teach it. Working on this part of one’s practice is the first step to becoming an excellent teacher.