Good teachers migrate between these poles at all times, depending on the circumstances. They know where they need to be and when. Effective teaching is not about being locked with both hands glued to a podium or having your eyes fixated on a slide projector while you drone on. Good teachers work the room and every student in it. They realize that they are conductors and the class is their orchestra.
All students play different instruments and at varying proficiencies.
A teacher s job is to develop skills and make these instruments come to life as a coherent whole to make music. This is very important. It s about being self-deprecating and not taking yourself too seriously. It s often about making innocuous jokes, mostly at your own expense, so that the ice breaks and students learn in a more relaxed atmosphere where you, like them, are human with your own share of faults and shortcomings. It s about devoting time, often invisible, to every student.