When I was asked what my most important lesson learned as a teacher was, my reply focused on the idea of student engagement and ownership. No matter how well-prepared a teacher might be, I firmly believe that if a student is not engaged and does not take ownership of their education, they will not succeed.
While this might seem a bit fatalistic for a teacher to say, it hones in on one really important factor for educators: We must do what we can to make students care about what we’re teaching them.