Teacher Definition: Common Collocations and Popular Phrases

To define “teacher,” take a look at typical contexts in which this word is commonly used by native speakers. Read these sentences and try to understand them.

This word has a wide selection of synonymous expressions, knowing which can reinforce your language skills and expand your vocabulary. Learn these “teacher” synonyms to easily apply them in your daily English.

Related nouns: school math science

Synonyms (contextual): educator instructor tutor professor mentor coach

Common collocations: English teacher private teacher head teacher

Discover how to make a “teacher” description by using various parts of speech like verbs, nouns and adjectives in pairs with this word. Look through examples below and try to come up with something own and original.

With adjectives: strict teacher patient teacher qualified teacher

With verbs: become a teacher hire a teacher respect a teacher

With nouns (noun + noun): teacher salary teacher shortage teacher conference

“Teacher” in English means more than just simply an educator. Discover the meaning of this word in different idiomatic contexts and see its usage in real sentences.

• Teacher’s pet — a student who is the teacher’s favorite, often used negatively to describe someone who tries too hard to please the authority.

  The class rolled their eyes when the teacher’s pet reminded about the homework.

• Experience is the best teacher — you learn more effectively by doing things yourself than by being told about them.

  He ignored the warnings and lost money in the stock market — experience is the best teacher.

• Experience is the teacher of fools — this expression is quite the opposite of the previous one and suggests that wisdom can be gained cheaply through observation, but some people pay the full price by learning the hard way.

  Only after failing did he admit that experience is the teacher of fools.

Check how well you understand this word and can provide a description of “teacher.” Evaluate your level of comprehension of this topic with our quick, interactive quiz.

Discover how to spell “teacher” in different European languages, since it will boost your general knowledge and provide you with a bigger picture of international language culture.

Uncover the interesting details of the teaching profession that run across all cultures, have persisted across all eras, and mold each following generation.

• Teaching is one of the oldest professions.

  Formal education began more than 4,000 years ago in ancient civilizations such as Mesopotamia and Egypt, where scribes taught reading and writing to elite students. Teaching methods developed by Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle are still used today.

• Finland treats teachers like doctors.

  Teacher training programs accept only 10 percent of applicants. Finnish teachers receive salaries that match those of doctors and lawyers, while Finland ranks among the top educational systems worldwide.

• The student-teacher ratio keeps shrinking.

  In the 1960s, classrooms in Europe and America often had more than 25 students per teacher. Today, the ratio is about 16 students for every 1 teacher. Smaller class sizes allow more individual attention, though teacher shortages threaten this progress.

• October 5th is World Teachers’ Day.

  UNESCO established World Teachers’ Day in 1994 to celebrate educators worldwide. Different countries also have their own Teacher’s Day — India celebrates on September 5th, China on September 10th, and the US during the first full week of May.

Influential thinkers and former students reflect on how teachers shape not just knowledge, but character, dreams and entire futures. Read their sayings and think about your opinion regarding the thoughts behind these quotations.