“A good teacher is like a candle – it consumes itself to light the way for others”– Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
More than a good number of other occupations, the responsibility of teaching entails people who possess a fastidious set of qualities. If you are taking into consideration the teaching profession, rest assured that if you catch excited about circumstances where others might give up, you just may be perfect for this pleasing and life-changing career. Even though there seems to be an existing hypothesis that effective teaching cannot be defined but, I tried to identify some teacher characteristics considered as “effective” by students. It is a good suggestion for a teacher to keep these characteristics in mind in order to know how their students monitor their teaching. Efficient teaching ensure that the students learn best when they actively participate in the learning process. The successful faculty members work on their teaching in order to engage and motivate their students to learn and build on their existing knowledge and understanding.
Students have had hundreds of teachers remember only a few as being exceptionally good.
So, what are these qualities that combine to create an excellent, memorable teacher? Why do some teachers inspire students to work three times harder than they normally would, while others make them want to skip class? Why do students learn more from some teachers than others? The qualities that distinguish exceptional teachers include knowledge, communication skills, interest, and respect for students, commitment and approach as well as personality.
Knowledge:
Bob Talbert quoted, “Good teachers are costly, but bad teachers cost more”. In every type of teaching, students consistently and clearly mention knowledge of the subject as the number one quality of a good teacher. You must be an expert in your field if you are going to be a good teacher. So it is always a good idea to do your homework before going into class in order to be prepared for any relevant question that the students ask you. The reading and searching routine also help teachers to come up with new and exciting ideas to make the subject more interesting.
Communication:
The ability to communicate their knowledge and expertise to their students is the second core quality. You may be an expert in your field, but what if you are unable to deliver what you know in a right manner? How much would your students learn then? It is the teacher’s job to take advanced knowledge and make it accessible to the students. A good teacher can explain complicated material in a way that the students can understand and use. There is a saying: “Give me a fish and I eat for a day, teach me to catch fish and I eat for a lifetime.” This is the philosophy of a good teacher. Give your students an answer and they can solve one problem, but show them the techniques needed to find answers so that they may become independent in the field. Students need to be shown how to apply the new techniques for solving a problem. This is what problem-based learning is all about.
Interest:
Some teachers consider that there are three best reasons to choice teaching profession: June, July, and August, but good teachers are those who take interest in profession. Good teachers are themselves interested in the material they teach and that is how they generate interest in the class. Knowledge is worthless unless it is delivered to the students in a form they can understand. But the effort expended in making the material understandable will be wasted if the students fall asleep when it is delivered, or if the students see no point in learning what is being taught. Teachers should know how to make students want to learn the material by making it interesting for them.
Respect:
“The best teacher is the one who suggest rather than dogmatizes, and inspires his listener with the wish to teach himself”
– Edward Bulwer Lytton
All good teachers carry a deep concern and respect for their students. They allow the students to make their own decisions, which encourage independent and critical thinking.
Commitment and approach:
“If students don’t feel teacher appreciation, their whole education has failed”
– Michael Balkers
Every profession needs commitment and a promise to fulfill all the deals faithfully. A responsible teacher should spend time with the students in order to fill the gaps left in their understanding of a subject. Classroom rules and procedures set by the teacher help the students know what is expected of them and how they can help themselves. He or she encourages cooperation. It is also required of the teacher to be flexible enough to change lessons on the spot in order to accommodate the need of students.
Personality:
It is required of the teacher to be curious and passionate while showing interest in their student’s interests, wishes, and feelings. Teachers should form examples for the students in the way that they carry themselves. Highly effective teachers are viewed as easy going and relaxed. They should always keep an open mind. The teacher’s attitude has a strong bearing on his or her class. There should be no bias and no fixed point of view. A good teacher has to be strict and self-confident. He or she must exercise authority, but at the same time also be a friend and helper to the students.
“The best teacher teach from the heart, not from the book”
Effective teaching is the need of the time for our country.