TEACHER DEVELOPMENT

What is Teaching? 5 Game-Changing Realities Every Teacher Must Discover

11 May 2025/ By Zineb DJOUB

What is teaching? It’s a question we don’t always pause to ask—especially when the answer seems so obvious.

Isn’t it just about delivering knowledge, following objectives, and covering what the syllabus demands? That’s what I used to think, too.

We often define teaching as a structured, purposeful act guided by the school or university’s standards. And let’s be honest—most of us are also told, directly or indirectly, that teaching equals grading, managing behaviour, and surviving a mountain of stress and paperwork.

But here’s the truth: that version of teaching is incomplete.

After years of navigating the highs and lows of the classroom, I’ve come to realise that teaching isn’t just a job. It’s not just instruction. It’s a human, evolving practice that goes far beyond the official job description.

And this shift in perspective has reshaped everything—how I teach, how I connect with students, and how I see myself as an educator.

In this post, I’m sharing five teaching realities that have transformed both my mindset and my students’ learning. They might challenge what you’ve always believed—but they just might also reignite your passion for teaching.

#Teaching is  about building confidence to try

In my early days as an English language teacher, I was driven by my inherent desire to see my students use English correctly. I always focused on correcting mistakes, ensuring they performed well on every task I assigned.

Yes, perfection was my goal, but my students struggled and couldn’t take risks due to their fear of making mistakes, dreaded presentations and any situations where they were in the spotlight.

That’s when it hit me: my focus on correctness was actually holding them back.

The moment I stopped obsessing over every error, grading every piece of work, and started encouraging students to try and make mistakes, I realised they became more engaged, participating more, initiating and improving their learning.

What is teaching, really, if not helping students believe they can learn?

Teaching is not about perfection. It’s about growth, building confidence, and encouraging students to improve and succeed through growth-oriented feedback.

#Teaching is about engagement, not compliance

Holding ultimate control over everything in the classroom—yes, that’s what many teachers try to do. Or rather, what they think they can do.

But let’s be honest: we can’t control everything that happens in the classroom. And if that’s the goal, we’ll likely drain our energy and head toward burnout by the end of the day.

Instead of focusing on control, we should be thinking about how to actively engage our students in learning.

Now, I know what you’re thinking—control is necessary. We need it for classroom management, to minimise disruptions and keep things running smoothly.

And yes, following routines and setting clear expectations does matter. But real learning happens when students are curious, motivated, and emotionally connected to what they’re doing. Not when they’re simply complying.

When we’re driven by an authoritative mindset and the need for compliance, we become resistant to change.

We fear losing control, so we question every new idea, limit communication to rigid participation, and over-rely on intensive practice just to keep students “busy.” And in doing so, we squeeze out the joy and spontaneity that make learning memorable.

What is teaching if not the art of lighting a fire within students?

Teaching isn’t about control and having students comply—it’s about nurturing their desire to learn, grow, and take responsibility even when we’re not there.

In a world full of distractions and rising school boredom, the true challenge isn’t compliance. It’s capturing hearts and minds, and creating meaningful, lasting engagement.

#Teaching is about nurturing minds and developing life habits

We often think that teaching the curriculum, achieving learning outcomes, meeting standards, and hitting deadlines are the most important parts of the job.

Yes, these things matter. But they’re not everything.

Have we ever stopped to ask ourselves, after the exams are over, how relevant was our content to students’ future careers or personal lives? Will they apply it in real situations? Will they even remember it 10 or 15 years from now?

What is teaching if it leaves no lasting impact?

Teaching is not just about covering content. It’s about nurturing minds and developing life habits—preparing students to be thoughtful citizens who can thrive in an increasingly complex world.

In systems where rote memorisation and teacher-centred instruction still dominate, students are likely to see learning as meaningless, boring, and simply a hurdle to pass.

But real learning—learning that matters—goes beyond the textbook.

Students need to think critically, bounce back from setbacks, express empathy, collaborate with others, solve problems, and make informed decisions. These are the life skills today’s world demands—and they’re also the foundation of good teaching.

And here is the thing, you don’t have to rewrite your curriculum to do this. You just have to weave these skills into what you’re already teaching—even when they’re not part of the curriculum objectives.

There’s always room to do that, if we want.

#Teaching is not about extremes; it’s about balance

As a teacher trainer, I often hear the same belief echoed by both new and experienced educators: to truly connect with students, teachers should act like their friends—be cool, be casual, be one of them.

But let’s be honest. While building strong relationships with students is essential, being their friend doesn’t align with our professional role.

Yes, we should absolutely be friendly—listen to them, encourage them, value their contributions, and show genuine care. But there’s a difference between being supportive and becoming a peer.

So, what is teaching, then?

It’s about finding the right balance—being approachable without losing your authority. Not overly strict and cold. Not overly relaxed and permissive. Somewhere in the middle, where mutual respect lives and learning can flourish.

Teaching is most effective—not when we lean into extremes, but when we strike that thoughtful balance. That’s when students feel safe, challenged, and inspired all at once. And that’s where the real magic of teaching happens.

#Teaching is not only about the teacher—it’s a shared effort

We, as teachers, play a profound role in students’ learning progress.

That’s why when students fail, we’re the first to blame. That’s why we’re always working hard and beating ourselves up when things don’t go right.

But teaching is not only about the teacher!

It’s a shared effort.

Sure, we’re the ones who interact more with students, but we can’t do it alone. We can’t help them if they don’t take ownership of their learning.

We also need parents who encourage and support from home. We need administrators who back us up and provide the resources we need.

And we need the community to value education, showing students how it connects to real-life challenges.

Great teaching doesn’t just happen in isolation. It happens when we all come together to make it work—students, parents, administrators, and us, as teachers.

When we start to recognise and embrace this collaborative dynamic, teaching becomes not just a profession but a shared mission.

To conclude, teaching is not just about delivering content and exerting control. It’s about building confidence, engaging students, nurturing minds, and balancing authority with approachability.

It’s a shared effort, with students, parents, administrators, and the broader community all playing crucial roles.

Teaching is challenging, but it’s an incredibly rewarding shared journey, where we can learn, grow, and enjoy every moment in the process.