What Matters Most in the Classroom

No Greater Truth

When you think back to your own school years, what stands out most? Chances are, you don’t remember your exact test scores or the fine details of every unit you studied. More often, you remember the teachers who encouraged you, the ones who believed in you when you didn’t believe in yourself.

As educators, we sometimes get caught up in the push for measurable results—scores, percentages, and data points. While those things matter, they are not what matter most. The true legacy of teaching is found in the relationships we build and the character we model.

One student once told me, years after leaving my class, “I remember how you always ensured I was included when I was too frightened to join other students.” That’s what they carried forward—not the project, not the assignment, but the encouragement and care.

This is not to say academics don’t matter. They absolutely do. Rigor challenges students to think deeply, solve problems, and develop persistence. But rigor must be paired with warmth. The combination of high expectations and genuine care creates a powerful learning environment where students thrive not only as learners but also as people.

What matters most is not only what we teach but how we teach. Every correction can be an opportunity to show patience. Every grade can be paired with encouragement. Every lesson can be an avenue to model fairness, resilience, and hope.

When students look back years from now, they may not recall the content of every unit. But they will remember how they felt in your classroom—valued, challenged, supported, and loved. That’s the heartbeat of teaching with purpose. That’s what truly matters most.