Pädagoge

Pädagoge is the German term for an educator or teacher. The word comes from the Greek paidagogos, literally "leader of children" (pais = child, agein = to lead). In German, the term is neutral and refers to professionals involved in education and upbringing, not only classroom instructors but also educators in broader settings.

In German-speaking countries, a Pädagoge may work as a schoolteacher, a kindergarten teacher, or in social-pedagogical roles such as youth work and educational counseling. The term aligns with Pädagogik, the science and practice of education, and with related fields like Erziehungswissenschaft and Soziale Pädagogik.

Historically, pedagogy as a field developed from humanistic and Enlightenment traditions. Educators such as Johann Amos Comenius, Friedrich Fröbel, and Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi influenced theory and method. In modern usage, the term can also describe educational researchers and theorists, not just practitioners.

In English, the word pedagogue can carry a pejorative sense of a pedant, but in German it remains a neutral designation for a professional educator.