In the broad sense, case teaching is an ancient pedagogy. Since time began, teachers have taught other people by drawing on stories from real-life experiences. In a way, then, telling stories taken from real life can be seen as case teaching. Case writing and case teaching in a college or university setting, however, require specific research and writing skills. A good teaching case will generally contain four essential elements: (1) context; (2) complexity; (3) ambiguity; and (4) relevance. When writing a case for submission to the "Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership" ("JCEL"), the case writer should always keep in mind these four essential elements.