How to Be a Good Teacher: We all have that one teacher that we admire and perhaps aspire to be like. Even though you are not a good listener, you often catch yourself actually paying attention to that teacher and it baffles you but you don’t even have a second to spare in order to consider your new found behavior.
You are just all ears, of course you would not mind contributing and asking questions because there is always a tendency that you want to impress and even more desperately show off in that class. Now that’s a good teacher. I am quite aware that not all such interests are streamlined to learning or can even be staged in a learning environment.
I do not make reference to this aforementioned unhealthy interest when I say that a teacher that motivates you to put yourself out there is a good teacher.
Who Is A Good teacher?
A teacher is someone who impacts knowledge to a learner (often called a student in a formal setting). Someone who transforms an individual to a better one through series of programs, activities,exercises and experiences. One who engages an individual in programmed activities aimed at equipping such individual with the necessary skills needed in their studies or pursuit of knowledge.
From the above definition, it can be inferred that a teacher does not necessarily teach you what you need to know but may only equip and guide you on how you should go about to acquire the needed knowledge. Suffice to state that there is formal and informal education. Accordingly, not every teacher is found teaching in a classroom and virtually anywhere can be a learning environment.
How To Be A Good Teacher
1. Pay attention to students: A good teacher always pays maximum attention to his student(s) in order to:
a. Ascertain their areas of difficulty thus making informed decisions on what areas require emphasis.
b. Know when the students are off the radar, that is are getting it wrong inorder to correct them.
c. Know when the students are not paying attention or distracted and win back their attention.
d. Decide whether or not they are ready for a particular class and why.
e. Identify those who generally have difficulties with comprehending things and deciding how to carry everyone along.
2. Improve your conversation skill: The ability to hold reasonable and active conversations with students is another important quality every good teach must exhibit. Most often than not, students are attracted to teachers who are able to discuss with them and understand them better. This also helps them to pay good attention and cooperate when the teacher is doing other academic activities.
Note that conversation skill in this instance includes being able to make students laugh and also be serious when the time comes. When you are able to make your students smile, they will find it easier to discuss anything with you (even those things that are not concerned with academics). So to be a good teacher, you must learn to be a good conversationalist.
3. Be innovative: Sometimes, the conventional way might not be working and that is not so bad if there is a good teacher around.
He or she always come up with new ideas that trill almost everyone, makes them eager to learn,willing to take risks and unafraid of failure.
4. Be vast and teach vast: One way to identify a good teacher is by considering how vast such a person is. Not in terms of knowing almost everything but in a more concize manner of impacting both knowledge, good morals and skills.Such a teacher is what I like to describe as a “complete package”.
The class room and other learning environments should not only prepare a person to pass exams and move on to the next class but should prepare one also for life generally. A good teacher should and ought to strike a balance between both.
5. Patience: I once had a Mathematics teacher, female, that does not spend enough time solving the questions and would almost always go for the cheapest questions in the text but would give us the complicated ones as exercises , screaming “you have goofed” anytime someone misses the point.
We were still in primary school and not really passionate about much or even as desperate as we are now about succeeding so majority of us concluded that Maths was not meant for us and that we will not need it after all. In subsequent classes, we were just body present but minds elsewhere, far from the on-going announcement that we are not good enough.
Consider also a scenerio where such teacher would instead watch without insults, appreciate us for trying and say something like, “you did good but you missed it at this point”, “great work but try this method instead”, “let me show you how it is done”. Now, only a good teacher would do that and will be willing to do it all over again to ensure that his or her student(s) get(s) it.
6. Be disciplined: Not every teacher pays attention to the time they report to class or how they dress, talk, the language they use,the jokes they crack and even when their time is up so that they do not encroach into a different time scheduled for something else but a good teacher does. Good teachers are disciplined to a fault and they pass this attribute on to a greater percentage of their students.
7. Always put on a happy disposition: This term is used not just literally but also figuratively. It’s use in the second instance denotes or can be translated to mean “approachable“. If I say that some teachers are totally unapproachable I am sure you will agree with me because this is a raw fact.
Sometimes, students will claim to understand what they taught because they just want the teacher to go or are just simply scared of receiving abuses or being shamed. Those kind of teachers make learning difficult as opposed to what it ought to be. On the contrary, a good teacher is always approachable even outside the learning environment.
8. Charisma: Every good teacher has “good carriage” and does not fumble or mumble before his students. When he floops, he quickly makes amend and is not scared to admit his error whilst still maintaining his position as the most qualified person in that environment in the subject so concerned.
This does not translate to pride but comportment and competence; the ability to get any situation under control.
9. Let passion drive you: A good teacher is passionate about his job and this makes him to be always willing and ready to impact knowledge at any given opportunity.
Even in countries where they’re are not properly renumerated, their passion compels them to teach or train which ever is more appropriate in the context and bring out the very best in their students. Teaching never bores or upsets them but is made easier and more interesting as they advance in that profession.
10. Give incentives in you teachings: A good teacher knows when to give incentives so as to motivate the class to become more lively and intentional about contributing. They could give gifts or award marks to those participating and boom! everyone wants to participate.
11. Be committed to your job: Good teachers will always leave you better than they met you.They do not pick and choose those who are already out there inorder to get glory for little or no work, instead they are committed to creating positive changes in the life of all their students.
They strengthen you in areas you are weak and help you attain mastery of your strength. You can not encounter a good teacher and still remain the same.
5 Qualities Of A Good Teacher
1. Intriguing teaching methods: The fact is that not all students acquire knowledge in the same way. Different learning styles exist. Some pupils learn more effectively when they see material represented or illustrated visually. Others, on the other hand, might like listening to audio or a lecture to learn knowledge.
The demands of each student are unique, and good teachers are aware of this. A competent instructor won’t give up or point the finger at the student if one kid is lagging behind due to the teaching methodology. Instead, they might utilize their communication abilities to comprehend the student’s shortcomings more clearly. The teacher may then be able to modify their approach to teaching in order to interest the pupil or offer certain exercises in order to facilitate more efficient learning.
2. The Ability to Create Communities: The most effective educators recognize the value of creating welcoming and cooperative settings. The finest instructors establish wholesome and respectful connections between the pupils in addition to developing loving ties with each one of them.
They are aware of how to set up rules and delegate responsibilities to recruit each student’s assistance and involvement. Each student has the impression that they are not just included in the bigger group but also that the enchantment of the classroom depends on them being there. Each student participates and feels at home in their little communities-like classrooms.
3. Empathy: Empathy is among the most crucial positive traits of a teacher. Let’s use an illustration to further comprehend this trait. Consider yourself in a classroom with a kid who consistently does poorly on tests. Even though you encouraged them to study, their grades have remained poor. Given that the child is not performing well despite your best efforts, it is only normal for you to become frustrated.
You are unable to know what is happening inside of them or the situations they are in. What happens if the child has a learning handicap or familial problems? You must think like your students and put yourself in their shoes as a teacher. Empathy is what it is. You must be available and comprehend the student.
4. Relationship skills: Communication and interpersonal skills are intimately tied to one another. Your ability to interact with them will determine how you get along with both their parents and students. Strong interpersonal connections need effective interpersonal communication. A teacher must work toward a student’s whole growth, as was already noted.
For instance, it matters more than simply their schooling. It is also their actions, demeanor, attitude, and many other things. The instructor has to have good interpersonal skills to ensure that the pupils do this. in order to establish a connection with their kids and address any issues that may arise.
5. Nurturing: A supportive instructor fosters a positive learning environment. There is plenty area for suggestions, criticism, and errors. Students frequently require a listening ear as they work through their issues and errors. Students may act out if their professors are strict with them.
However, when a teacher is nurturing, the pupils feel protected, which raises both their respect for the instructor and that of their peers. A supportive teacher may be very beneficial to pupils who struggle with behavioral or social issues.
There are a thousand and one ways to conclude our discussion yet I will rather say, they are no bad students, only bad teachers. If the whole team is not doing well then it is probably better to change not the game or the players but the coach.
Everybody passed through one teacher or the other in any setting what so ever and end up in positions of influence or authority making either good or terrible decisions all steaming from what they have been taught or did not unlearn whilst undergoing training. Accordingly, teaching is and ought to be considered a noble profession and teachers ought to be properly renumerated both in formal and informal setting because teachers are the very ones who shape the society at the long run.
