Good teaching focuses on students and on their experiences of the classroom environment. Careful attention to what students are learning begins with constantly improving classroom assignments and lecture content and making these relevant to students’ lives. If material is not relevant, how can we expect anyone to be interested in learning? To connect with students and what is relevant to their lives means having empathy for the range and diversity of experiences they bring to the classroom. It also means having respect for their victories, joys, and struggles as students and as people. An effective learning environment also requires constant attention to framing the material so that students can see its relevance to their lives—relevance needs to be highlighted, not assumed. Finally, a good learning experience requires that both the teacher and the student pay attention to the process of learning, such as note taking, exam preparation, exercise completion, and writing projects, and monitor that this process is actually working as planned.