Teaching is not... . The tips for teachers in this quarter has thus far focused on the negative, explaining what teaching is by what it is not. The following weeks' tips will focus on the positive, defining several characteristics of teaching. At this mid-way point, then, let us seek a simple definition of teaching.
Consider this summary of one teacher's philosophy of teaching: the teacher is one who has Faith in the future, knows and understands students, who understands motivation and the effects on learning interacting with other students has, who knows the subject and how to help students learn the subject, who is a continual learner, who sees herself or himself as a role model, who teaches students how to think and asks questions, and who lives to serve. (http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/my-philosophy-of-teaching/)
What is your purpose in teaching? Why do you do what you do?