I think every teacher is competent in his or her subject matter. Why else would he or she want to teach? However, not every teacher is good at teaching. I believe to be a good teacher, one needs to have a passion for teaching, the students, the subject matter, and a real desire to be good at inspiring the students. Simply knowing the subject matter is not enough. A good teacher must be able to read the students, understand when they do and do not understand what is going on in class, and then be able to tailor the delivery in such a way to pass along the matter in an optimal way. For some of us, this takes time and practice, as well as a strong desire to help the students. Obviously, one must have a sincere desire to help others, then a willingness to go the extra mile to reach out to the students. Once successful, the students will respond by saying things like, “You’re the best math teacher I’ve ever had.” When I hear statements like this I know I’m doing my job.