Whenever you think about your childhood there are always a few memories which remind you about your class or subject teachers who deserve the credit for who you are today. Usually, many of us get remembered by four or five people in our life till the end but they are the teachers who are remembered by many of the students throughout their life.
All other jobs apart from teaching have their predefined roles which they have to play. But the role of a teacher is not just to teach the syllabus but also to nurture the students in such a way that they become successful in their life. To make the students a close to ideal person, teach them humanity, and to set a well behaved example in the society. A teacher can be rude like a potter, who trolls you from outside but they are also the ones who support you and give you strength from inside. Every teacher has a contribution to the future of the country as he is the one who conceives the engineers, doctors, and professionals etc through proper guidance and education.
This article is emphasizing the best qualities of such a teacher. Here are 20 qualities that a good teacher must possess:
Nuanced Approach to Teaching
The teacher’s approach to teaching must be very nuanced. Whatever he teaches must be easily perceived and digested by the students. A good teacher churns down the information and provides learning in an easily digestible manner. He should be ready to break down a complex topic down to it’s intricacies. It is crucial that teachers internalize that learning inside a human brain doesn’t happen like it happens in a computer where you can upload any random piece of information. Human brain remembers by making sub-branches of branches.
Must have practical knowledge
A good teacher knows how to apply as well as teach. He must possess practical understanding of a concept rather than just being limited to the theoretical one. If lever provides Mechanical Advantage in lifting a load, then show the students how it happens. Human brain remembers movement better than raw information. Thus, the movement of liquid inside a burette and the easy lifting of load through the lever will be better remembered by students if demonstrated.
Isn’t limited to Curriculum
The good teachers must not limit themselves to the syllabus but also believe in providing in-depth knowledge of the particular subject so that students can develop a keen interest in it. There are many things that can be taught to the students that aren’t the part of their curriculum but can still help them in their exams. Skills like making readable notes, sticking to a time table, making proper communication, and researching can help the students ace their exams in an indirect way.
Not to be impatient
A good teacher must not be short-tempered, as teaching is a skilled profession and demands a lot of patience. For instance, if a student is getting confused yet again in solving a problem and asks his teacher about the same queries, then a wise teacher won’t get angry. Getting angry at the student in such a case, will encourage the student to “keep his mouth shut” whenever he has any confusion, fearing the teacher’s wrath. Thus, leading to not only incomplete knowledge of the topic but also mental issues if such a behaviour from the teacher continues.
Keep students motivated yet disciplined
To become a good teacher, one must keep the students motivated. But at the same time, also realize that like a matchstick, motivation only lasts for a while. Thus, a good teacher must also spark a more potent fuel through this matchstick, discipline. Most of what students hope to learn, won’t be imprinted in their mind for a long time. They will have to repeatedly hammer on it even on the days when they don’t feel like it, something only discipline will help them in not motivation.
Maintain a Teacher Student Relationship
Maintaining a healthy teacher student relationship is another characteristic of a good teacher. A good relationship opens a line of dialogue and communication that can enhance the learning experience. Imagine a student conveniently putting forward his confusions and thoughts to the teacher and the whole class in a respectable manner. Similarly, the teacher understanding the question well and explaining in a manner conducive to the students, that the students can understand in just one explanation. Such a feat is possible only if prior efforts have been made to cement the understanding between the teacher and the student. The initiative for such a relationship will always have to come from the Teachers and they should be proactive in taking it. Especially, in an online setting, teachers should be focussed on forming a connection with the students and using it to for a better line of communication in between.
Should Know the Biases
Regardless of how much a teacher tries, some biases towards the students are natural to creep up. The only way to weed out such biases is to know what they are and understand why it happens. The most general bias that many teachers face is the bias against novice learners’ ability. When one becomes an expert in a subject, they often forget both the efforts they had to put in and the examples through which they were able to connect the dots. This makes the new learners seem way more lethargic in their learning than they actually are. Remember the existence of this bias and all the others that may creep into you. A good teachers recognizes them, and takes every measure to prevent them.
Should be punctual
Punctuality is one of the most important characteristics of a good teacher, because a teacher is both an educator as well as a role-model. If he is punctual, then the students will learn punctuality from him. Embody the punctuality that you expect from your students, and you will inspire a great many students.
Effective Communication
A new teacher joins the class and immediately starts teaching, in such a case the words maybe be comprehendible but they will fall flat on the students’ ears. A good teacher knows the effectiveness of good communication and listening skills. He must be very fluent in his communication skills and know how to make the students comfortable. Effective Communication is the key to establishing the Teacher Student connection that we previously discussed about.
Making the Study Enjoyable
A good teacher must make the learning process fun through his teaching aptitude so that even an uninterested student can develop interest in the studies. His enthusiasm with the subject must be so contagious that students can’t help but see the beauty of the subject from his perspective. No one can be an academic in a particular field if they are repulsed by it. In many cases the interest or repulsion that they develop for a subject, depends on the exposure that they got from their teachers in that particular subject.
Must Recognize the Results
Teaching is a very pro-active job. A good teacher can not and should not teach blindly. They should be mindful in making sure that they routinely assess the students, to get the right data of which students are able to learn well and which are struggling, thereby directing more of their time towards the struggling students. Teacher must be vigilant in ensuring that the whole class is at the same level. System of meritocracy can instil an unwanted social structure in the class where the ones not performing well are looked down upon. Like an activist should they strive to remove these hierarchies and ensure the upliftment of the average students.
Must be honest and practical
Having stated the importance of being an idealist in the previous point, be practical in your approach as well. Do your best to inspire the students, but also be a realist. Don’t set either too high targets for yourself or too great expectations with both your self and your students. Remember that its ok to fail once in a while, just so you can prevent those mistakes when they will matter. Honesty and practicality goes a long way in assuring your students, that you will get them through the finish line. Honesty and practicality are the attributes of a teacher most praised by the students.
Must be Empathetic
A good teacher must not judge the students on the basis of their performance, as it is expected from a good teacher that he must counsel the students who are not performing well. Imagine yourself as a shepherd, as a good shepherd you will embody affection towards your flock. You will protect, guide, nurture, and lay down your life (metaphorically of course) for the flock. There could be a genuine difficulty that a student is facing in his life, thus you should go ahead and demonstrate compassion. Being a good teacher he needs to recognize the students’ problems and try to help them.
Must be Very Creative
Teaching is art, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Knowledge is the same in all teachers for a topic, but the method of delivery varies greatly. Knowing how to deliver it so that even an average student can understand it is the utmost important thing. Let’s say if a teacher has to teach the students about the concept of simple interest, then he should use easily comprehendible currencies to tell them why there is a rate of interest. An ideal teacher may relate the existence of simple interest to the importance of time, and why we say time is money. It will help them to visualize time as a currency.
A Possess Positive Attitude
Teaching can not be done with a negative attitude as it makes the students focus on the attitude rather than the teaching. Be hopeful with even the most worst performing of your pupils. Possessing a positive and healthy attitude are physical attributes of a teacher which reflect his overall personality. Even an iota of hope for a poor performing student gets snuffed out if the teachers stops believing in him. A good teacher will always have a positive attitude towards all his students.
Must be Consistent
Some of you may or may not have heard the story of Dashrath Manjhi. A man who did the godlike feat of carving a path through a mountain in 22 years. Teachers can learn from such a man, that pressure applied for a specific amount of time can break anything. Good Teachers must be consistent, as it will be the only way to cover the huge curriculum. They should also teach the students the importance of doing a little amount of work daily, which can prove to be significant amount of work over the long term.
Must be passionate about his job
Being passionate is the utmost quality that a good teacher must possess, as teaching is not a duty. It needs a lot of strength and patience to be a career builder for someone. Teaching is a full-time job where a teacher must be ready to clarify his students’ doubts and meet their curious nature through right guidance in the subject.
Does justice with the role
A good teacher should be doing justice with his defined role. He is the one who is responsible for making young minds grow in the right direction. Teaching should be done keeping in mind that the teacher will come to define what a teacher is in the minds of his pupils. The responsibility, thus, should be undertaken mindfully.
Be Up for New Challenges
The best teacher qualities also include their attitude towards arising challenges they face while dealing with the students with a different persona. He must not give up easily. Teaching requires the teacher to keep learning and stay updated with any latest changes that may come about in your domain. For example, recently NASA released the first ever picture of a Black Hole. A physics teacher can take this opportunity to better explain to the students how gravity works and various other phenomenon’s like the technology used to take the image.
Acknowledge Mistakes and Be Humble
Trust with your students is more important than reputation. If you say something while teaching that is not consistent with the actual concept that you are teaching, and one of your students address that; then avoid getting defensive about it. Acknowledging your mistake is one of the biggest signs of trust. Even if the students don’t tell you, always double check what you are teaching. The best way to do that is by recording your classes. Humility is a key attributes of a good teacher which make them different from others.
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