I love this gem from Scot McKnight:
A teacher is knowledgeable about Bible and theology, life and spiritual formation, self and local context.
A teacher is skilled in the tools needed for Bible and theology, including the languages and the literature.
A teacher is more concerned about having something to say than the prestige of being on the platform.
A teacher is not on the stage to impress people with what he or she knows but to educate the church in gospel ways.
A teacher is a good communicator.
A teacher mixes information and edification, neither resorting to the lecture hall or mere story telling.
A teacher loves to study, and that means time alone to ponder and pray.
A teacher has the capacity for clarity: taking big ideas, complex thoughts, and clarifying their significance for the church.
A teacher is patient enough to listen to new ideas in order to evaluate them with insight.
A teacher is open-minded enough to shift when the evidence suggests so.
A teacher has the courage to teach what is there and not what folks want to hear.
A teacher lets texts and evidence determine what is true instead of letting someone’s authority or a sacred tradition determine what is true.