All of us can remember our favorite teacher from our childhood.

Whether it was an elementary teacher, high school teacher, or college professor, we can recall their name and what made them so perfect for us.

It is a bit strange that we can remember our favorite teacher’s name and facts about them even after thirty years, but we can’t recall what we had for dinner two nights ago.

They must have made such an impact on us that it is impossible to ever forget them.

Plus, when we are children, we are more open to someone coming into our lives and affecting us so greatly.

We sort of close ourselves off from something like this as we get older. As an educator myself, I have ran into hundreds of former students and most of them proclaim that I was their favorite teacher they ever had.

Now sometimes I can be a bit skeptical, so I just thank them and tell them how much they meant to me as well.

But as I walk away, I wonder if they tell all their old teachers that they were there favorite. My former students usually inform me why I was their favorite teacher.

They usually talk about my sense of humor and how I was always putting on a show for them so education was entertaining.

Often, they speak about how we always ended up using more technology in my class than any other class they have ever had.

All students usually love to learn about new technology.

On the contrary, when we get older, we tend to just like to stick with the technology we already know.

I am as guilty as anyone else with this.

When my iPhone does all of its updates, I hate having the apps look different or change a bit. Below is a list of some of the most popular reasons former students will proclaim why a certain teacher was their favorite.

However, I would love to hear about your own experiences with this.

If you could comment below about your favorite teacher and why they stood out from the rest, it could help all teachers in the classroom.

Or perhaps you are an educator and have stories of your own that could enlighten us.

Feel free to share them! Being Funny A sense of humor can go a long ways in the classroom and in life.

Too many teachers live by the rule that they should not ever start smiling at the students until Christmas break at the earliest.

Somehow, smiling and joking around with the students is supposed to indicate that you are a pushover for some reason.

I have never had that problem myself.

If you set the rules and follow up with the discipline, you can still have fun with the kids without them getting out of control. Caring About the Class Unfortunately, with many students nowadays, a good home life is not a given.

The caring that you show for them at school might be the only amount of kindness they are given in their current life.

Just asking a student how their weekend was or how their sports team is doing will go a long way with establishing a relationship.

However, don’t just ask them questions, share a bit of your own life with them as well.

It is a two way street and caring goes both ways. Have Individual Moments with the Students I have taught the majority of my teaching career in elementary schools, but I have also put in my time teaching at colleges and high schools as well.

Being able to have individual moments with the students can be quite an eye-opener.

Most of us act a bit different in large groups than we would if it was one-on-one.

Teaching is usually performed with large groups, so we don’t always have the chance to learn about each student individually.

One way to fix this problem is to have them write a simple one page essay at the beginning of the school year.

Ask them to tell you about their life so far and their highlights and lowlights.

This can provide you an insight about how you can make a difference in their life throughout the year. Be Memorable for the Right Reasons Many teachers are memorable years later for reasons that are a bit unkind.

We used to have a high school teacher that was known for heavy sweating and coffee breath.

This made him memorable all right, but for all the wrong reasons.

The students have to have favorable memories of you and your teaching style that they will be able to recall decades later.

For example, I often play games with the students that are enjoyable, but also educational.

We always have a good laugh and learn at the same time.

Do a few things that will stand out for them other than just having a big gulp soda on your desk everyday.