Qualities of Good Teacher

The Top 10 Qualities Of A Good Teacher

Mar 14th, 2008
by Cathy.

As I’ve mentioned before, one of my biggest goals is to become a teacher. In fact, it’s
part of my personal mission statement: “My mission is to experience life through…
teaching others.” I don’t want to be a run-of-the-mill boring teacher, though. Not like the
“substitute teachers” of my school days. But what makes a good teacher?

Photo by towodo

We all know good teachers when we see them, and bad teachers too. I thought back over
the teachers I’d loved and why I loved them. There were only a few, but they all had the
following qualities in common.

1. Confidence. Belief in ourselves despite setbacks. Teachers encounter situations all the
time that could be considered setbacks. Kids can be cruel, to each other and to teachers.
They can have attitudes, especially teenagers. I’ve had teachers to were obviously
nervous when they taught. Others were shy and only half committed to their subject. But
the best teachers laughed off their mistakes: chalk breaking, books dropped, VCRs not
working. Where some teachers were flustered, the good teachers shrugged and went on
about the lesson, sometimes even joking about the mess up. These teachers knew they
were human and knew mistakes happen. They didn’t take things personally and let
problems get them upset.

2. Patience. Some of my best teachers could have helped students through a mental
breakdown. Not that they had to, but that they were so patient, they could have gone the
distance. Many a time I, or classmate, would just not be “getting” a particular concept.
My best teachers were those who were willing to keep explaining, knowing that
eventually it would make sense. They were willing to wait until a distraction calmed
students down, or abandon a lesson entirely if it was clear material needed to be revisited.
The best teachers just stuck with it, willing to do what it took, no matter how long it took.

3. True compassion for their students. I’m sure

we’ve all encountered a bad teacher who didn’t care
what our excuse was. Certainly, some excuses
weren’t valid, but many were. The best teachers
cared about their students as individuals and wanted to help them. They had a sixth sense
when a student needed extra attention and gave it gladly. They didn’t expect students to
leave thoughts of the outside world at the door to the classroom. They took the time to
discuss subjects outside their teaching, knowing that sometimes lessons can still be taught
without following the textbook. Good teachers were willing to speak up for us to other
teachers, if need be. They cared about us beyond the walls of their classroom.

4. Understanding. Good teachers had understanding - not only the sixth sense mentioned
above, but true understanding of how to teach. They didn’t have a rigid technique that
they insisted on using even if it didn’t help us learn. They were flexible in their teaching
style, adapting daily if need be. They understood the little things that affected our ability
to learn; the weather, the temperature in the classroom, the time of day. They had an
understanding of human nature and the maturity (or lack thereof) of teenagers. Good
teachers knew that we hated to be called “young” and therefore pre-judged. They treated
us as real people, not just “students.”

5. The ability to look at life in a different way

and to explain a topic in a different way. There
are many different learning styles. Not everyone
gets a subject as taught by every teacher. I’ve taken
subjects (chemistry for instance) many times, at
many different levels, by many different teachers. I
took College Organic Chemistry three times from
three different teachers. I can tell you from
experience that it was more the skill of the third
teacher than the third time taking the class that
allowed me to pass. Bad teachers only look a subject matter one way. They teach based
on how they learn. This works for some people, but fails for others. The good teachers
are ones that are able to teach to different learning styles. If students don’t understand a
subject, they teach it a different way. Instead of looking at abstract formulas, they explain
with images what the formulas represent. This requires a through understand of their
subject, as well as the ability to consider that subject in different ways, which not all
teachers are able to do.

6. Dedication to excellence. Good teachers want the best from their students and
themselves. They don’t settle for poor grades, knowing it reflects upon their ability to
teach just as much upon a student’s ability to excel. The best teachers encourage the
sharing of ideas and offer incentives (like not having to do homework for a day) to get
students to think outside the box. They don’t tolerate students’ badmouthing other
teachers, doing their best to point out that other teachers are human too. They encourage
students to be good people, not just good memorizers of text. They want students to learn
and be able to apply what they learned, not just be able to pass tests.

7. Unwavering support. The best teachers know that everyone is able to do well if they
have the right teacher. They don’t accept that a student is a lost cause. They encourage if
you are frustrated and provide true belief that you can get the material. They stand up for
individuals against other students, not allowing for in class taunting. Sometimes, they
even extend this outside the classroom, although taunts in the hallways are very hard for
teachers to combat. The best teachers are there if you need extra help and even encourage
it.

8. Willingness to help student achieve. The best teachers are those that don’t stop
teaching when the bell rings. They hold extra sessions for SAT prep, they reach out to
students after class. They know that some need extra attention or assistance, and they
don’t act like it’s not their job. They take that job seriously and know they aren’t just
employed to get students to be able to do higher math, but do well in life. They realize
that achievement isn’t just a good grade on a test, but a feeling of accomplishment with
mastering a subject; they are willing to work with a student for that feeling.

9. Pride in student’s accomplishments. The best teachers

let you know they are glad you got a good grade or made the
honor’s society. They smile and tell you that you did a good
job. They tell other teachers about how you did as well.
Outside you may feel embarrassed, but inside you are
glowing. The best teachers don’t single out the best students
either. They celebrate the accomplishments of everyone,
knowing that everyone is capable to doing well. They are
upbeat and positive, focusing on how a student did well, not
how well they taught. They may know that it was the strength
of their teaching that helped a student to achieve, but they act
as if the student is completely responsible.

10. Passion for life. The best teachers aren’t just interested in
their subject, they are passionate about it. They are also passionate about many other
things. They praise good weather and smile when they take a few minutes to discuss last
night’s episode of a popular TV show. They have a energy that almost makes them glow
and that you want to emulate as much as possible. They approach tasks with a sense of
challenge rather than routine. They take the universe’s curve balls and turn them into fun
(if possible). They are human, certainly, but they make you feel that there is always a
reason to keep going. Things will get better no matter how much they appear to suck at
that moment.

As may be clear from the above, the best teacher I ever had was a math teacher. She was
all the more exceptional because math is the one subject I hate the most. She told us to
call her “Aunt Jackie,” but I had way too much respect to call her anything but “Mrs.
Lamp.” She is now a principal of a different High School than she taught at when I was
her student, and I suspect she is as good a principal as she was a math teacher.

Mrs. Lamp was the best teacher I’ve had, but she wasn’t the only good teacher.
Unfortunately, I had many more bad teachers than good, but the good ones all had the
qualities I described above. All of these teachers taught me a lot, and not all of it the
subjects of the class. I hope when I become a teacher that I am as good as they are.
Did I miss any qualities? Did you too find that your best teacher(s) were in your worst
subject? Please leave me your thoughts and comments below.
Students building model by Sleestak66; Kurdish Teacher by James Gordon;