Why Teaching Matters is an introductory guide to core elements of teaching, getting to the heart of what teaching is, and why it matters. Paul Farber and Dini Metro-Roland introduce the following 8 elements which encompass the many issues, themes and social complexities of teaching:

- Conveying Care
- Enacting Authority
- Cultivating Virtue
- Interpreting Subject matter
- Rendering Judgment
- Articulating Purpose
- Establishing a Sense of Place
- Engaging Presence

The focus on the elements of practice frames discussion of teaching as an essential human activity and highlights the kinds of significant issues that teachers face, including technology, social inequality, and the management and evaluation of their work. As a philosophical guide, it introduces and draws upon a range of thinkers, including Nel Noddings, Hannah Arendt, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Danielle Allen, and James Baldwin whose work informs a deeper understanding of teaching. The theoretical discussions are grounded with examples and anecdotes from the classroom so that theory is always connected with practice, and questions for further inquiry appear at the end of each chapter. Intended for students of education and for new and experienced teachers alike, as well as anyone interested in the impact of teaching, Why Teaching Matters explores the inherent complexity and challenges of teaching, offering a comprehensive account of the many ways in which teaching matters.