There are many ways to describe the role of teachers, but all of them have in common a drive to help the student understand a subject by incorporating it into their world. The majority of teachers focus on concepts, and they do it by using appropriate examples. Some of them convey direct knowledge, but that is usually for older students. Few students ask why their teacher shows up in class every day, but many of them simply assume it is a job or career rather than a passion.

Each teacher has their own reason for working in the field of education, but the majority of them share a drive to help other people navigate through life successfully. Some have a drive to teach basic subjects as a foundation to study and understand the world, and these are generally language, mathematics, science and history. Elective courses such as music or art have their own role in educating students, and the hope of teachers is that it will improve their lives.