Characteristics of Good Teachers

A good teacher can be defined as someone who always pushes students to want to do their best while at the same time trying to make learning interesting as well as creative. A positive or negative influence from a teacher early on in life can have a great effect on the life of a child. Teachers, especially at the elementary level, must be very creative with their teaching styles. Not every child learns the same way, nor are they interested in the same things. It is difficult to keep the attention of children when teaching. A good teacher needs particular characteristics such as being a good listener, being well organized/knowing of subject, and being enthusiastic. These characteristics really help the success of their students and their career proceed for the benefit of our future.

A good teacher being a good listener is oh-so important. It enables the teacher to be able to really hear the students and be able to understand any problems that they may have. Such as if the student doesn’t understand a problem in math class and the teacher doesn’t know at first what the student knows. So the teacher will have to practice their characteristic of good listening to hear what the student has to say about the problem to be able to then help find the solution. A good teacher is always a good listener as well. He/she uses an empathetic teaching approach. These teachers make sure that their students learn what they teach through involving them in the ongoing discussions in the classrooms. They encourage students to speak their minds and express themselves on a subject more openly. This has to be something to have for someone who wants to pursue the career of teaching. As Marian Cruise said “Good Listening Skills help to forge a healthy relationship between the facilitator and the learners. Being patient, attentive and encouraging active student speaking goes a long way to make the learners feel that they are being listened to and heard.” (Cruise, 2011).

Knowing of the subject/Being well organized are also very important because being well organized really does help especially when working with all of the student’s papers and having to grade them makes being well organized a characteristic worth having. Very well alike quality teachers are always well prepared and organized. They are well versed in their academic disciplines and are better able to deliver the lectures in an organized manner such as the introductory part, the main session and an effective conclusion at the end of the lecture. They use task analysis approach for the more complicated of lectures. Also having Knowledge of the subject really increases the amount of respect the students will have for you. “If you convey to pupils that you are knowledgeable about the topic or subject… pupils will respect your ability to teach…” (Kyriacou, 1998, 84) “…without feeling confident in their subject knowledge, teachers will be unable to develop various strategies in the classroom for teaching. If teachers are always having to refer to their notes… they can hardly focus on pupils’ work and learning.” (Bourdillion et al, 2002, 49

The teachers that are enthusiastic and encouraging towards their students will fill the atmosphere with positivity and lift the morals of their students to be keen learners. They are passionate about their subject and teach with optimism. The set high standards and expect their students to do well in every assigned academic activity. This leads kids with the same enthusiastic characteristics that the teacher demonstrates and the student learning this will be well acquitted for their responsibilities later on in life. The enthusiastic teacher will make every day lessons seem fun and simple to do, as well as make the students develop a passion for learning. This is why being enthusiastic is a characteristic that is a really good thing to have because it buffs the teacher’s ability to teach and buffs the student’s ability to learn. In the end what really makes a good teacher? The teacher who wants their students to succeed and will do anything in their power to help them and with the characteristic that good teachers have succeed in the teaching of the kids.

I remember when I was just a youngster my freshmen year of high school where I entered a school in which I was unfamiliar with and wasn’t really sure what to expect in class. I was faced with countless amounts of people and plenty of teachers. All of them really good teachers, but there was one outstanding teacher that really did listen, who was organized and knew a great deal of knowledge in the subject, and is always enthusiastic in class. My technical teacher Mrs. B, the lady who pushed and still pushes me to become the best I can be and wants the best for me. She always takes me out of my comfort zone and brings light to a day that would otherwise be a dark day. I have truly learned what a great teacher looks like and it will help mold me into an even better teacher.

References
http://www.school-teacher-student-motivation-resources-courses.com/goodteacher.html http://www.studymode.com/essays/Qualities-Of-a-Good-Teacher-927417.html https://www.teachervision.com/writing/resource/2669.html

http://mariancruz.wordpress.com/2011/03/26/a-good-teacher-is-a-good-listener/