How to Be a Great Teacher

The Postgraduate Pedagogy Masters Study Program at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang held a Guest Lecture (Visiting Professor) with the theme “Teachers and their Strategic Role in Realizing Advanced Education” (24/11/2021). This activity is held regularly and on this occasion to commemorate National Teacher’s Day, celebrated every November 25, 2021. This activity is held online via Zoom and YouTube with observers and actors in the education world. In this activity, one of the speakers was Dr. Suyatno, M.Pd.I. lecturer and Head of UAD Education Management Masters Program (S2 MP UAD).

Dr. Suyatno delivered a material entitled “How to Be a Great Teacher” developed from the book Good to Great by Jim Collins.

“Faaqidus syai’ laa yu’ti, that people who do not have something, do not have anything then he will not be able to give anything,” said Dr. Suyatno.

“In our context this morning, teachers who have nothing, have no motivation will not be able to provide motivation, teachers who are not creative do not expect to teach creativity to students, teachers who never innovate should never expect to teach and grow innovative spirit in students, a teacher who has never been an inspiration will never inspire,” said Dr. Suyatno

Furthermore, AK Baraja said that only teachers who continue to learn might continue to teach. Because once we don’t learn, the knowledge has expired, that knowledge develops. Of course, there is a difference between what we (teachers) learned in college before and now. How we teach today is the same as how we conducted our teachers before, this is a sign that we are not learning, science is developing, and technology is dynamic. Today’s millennial students are growing and developing with information technology.

According to Dr. Suyatno, Nadiem Makarim (Minister of the Ministry of Education and Technology) says that a “Guru Penggerak” is a teacher who puts his students above all else. Associated with the context of a great teacher, it means that a great teacher is a teacher who can make his students great, a progressive teacher is a teacher who can make his students progress, an inspiring teacher, a teacher who can inspire his students and a successful teacher is a teacher who can lead his students to success.

At the end of the material, quoting what was conveyed by Bernard Shaw, “Be a creative teacher, not just an administrative teacher.” Only 2% of all teachers are creative educators, 3% are busy administrators, and the rest are “curriculum teachers.”