Good Teacher Qualities

The simple definition of a teacher is a person who provides schooling to others. A teacher should be academically able and also exhibit kindness towards children. They should care for pupils and be ready to understand their problems. A teacher should have many different qualities in order to excel in the job of teaching at school. Good communication with children solves most of the problems associated with teaching.

Qualities of a Good Teacher

A lot can be said about good teacher characteristics and qualities. Different qualities of a good teacher are mentioned in the paragraphs below.

Confidence: It is the most important quality for teachers to have. Dealing with children is not easy; especially handling their attitudes requires maturity on the part of the teacher. Efforts that are half-committed are not good from the point of development of teachers. Children can not only be ignorant and apathetic about studies, but also throw tantrums and be literally 'cruel' towards their teachers. It is very important not to lose composure and confidence in difficult situations. Confident teachers don't lose hope even after making mistakes; it is human nature to make mistakes and teachers are no exception to it.

Understanding: The quality of empathy or understanding is one of the most important traits of a good teacher. The specific problems of children need to be understood and proper measures devised to overcome them. A teacher who prejudges students won't be able to bring positive changes in them. The method of teaching should be flexible enough to be changed in certain scenarios. Most importantly, a teacher has to think from the point of view of the pupils; this not only helps in understanding the perspective of students, but also eases the task of teaching.

Patience: Teachers who remain patient with their students are considered the best. Time taken for different students from the same in understanding a particular concept could vary. Some of the students just can't grasp the subject. It is very important to be patient with such kids. Any kind of disturbance in the class should also not affect a teacher's temperament. The quality of staying calm in such, testing situations helps greatly in the process of teaching. Good teachers take pains to explain each and every point to the students; commitment towards teaching is thus, a very important quality for teachers to inculcate.

Creativity: It is another quality which is very important from the point of view of teachers. With the syllabus and teaching methods becoming standardized day-by-day, it is hard to enjoy the process of teaching and learning. However, teachers should try their best to incorporate interesting exercises and techniques in making teaching a fun-filled activity. Creative projects and lesson plans help in developing interest and curiosity among children about the whole process of learning. Thus, creative thinking helps a lot in the field of teaching.

Passion: The qualities like passion or zeal are very important in the making of a good teacher. Nobody can stay for long in a job if they don't love it. An enthusiastic teacher creates a positive environment for students to enjoy learning. Even a simple concept can be made interesting with the help of energy end enthusiasm.

Best Practices for Teachers

The qualities of a good teacher are reflected in the practices he/she adopts in teaching. The following list provides information about the best practices and effective teaching strategies followed by teachers in general.

• Teachers should encourage children to think, ask questions and also make them practice a lot. Active participation of pupils in the process of learning helps in gaining knowledge.
• Explaining the basic concepts clearly is enough for students to confidently proceed in the quest of knowledge. Mere information about the subject won't be useful; the fundamentals should be taught clearly.
• Setting achievable targets before students and guiding them in the process is one of the good teacher qualities. The students should also be provided with performance reports on a regular basis.
• Getting intimidated by the questions of students or in worse cases, making fun of them creates a dent in their confidence. A good teacher won't even think of doing such things.
• The regular course activities should be spaced by intermittent breaks and interesting/stress busting activities.

A teaching job is equally challenging and rewarding as that of any other profession. Qualities of a good teacher mentioned above, are the key to excel in this profession. As stated earlier, one should love the job he/she is doing, so as to move ahead in life. Teaching is no exception. These qualities of a good teacher would help in becoming an efficient 'guru'.