10 Qualities of a Good Teacher to Enhance Effecting Teaching-Learning Conditions

See the 10 Qualities of a Good Teacher to Enhance Effecting Teaching-Learning Conditions. A good teacher must have these qualities to perform his/her job effectively.

What do you do if your students are: bored, uncontrollable, and confrontational or don’t understand what you are teaching no matter how hard you try to explain?

Without doubt, a teacher’s job can be accompanied with some level of frustration, stress and exhaustion if a teacher fails to adequately work on his or her self-development.

This is not to say that teaching jobs are difficult, tedious and enjoyable. Far from it! Speaking out of experience, it is in fact one of the most rewarding work of ‘giving’ and ‘building’. Not only do teachers give to others, they also give to themselves.

Why is teaching job an important job not to overlook? Because good teachers make the world; they inspire the best professionals we have today and build the foundations for the next generation.

In case you desire to be a teacher or are already in the profession, how can you reap the rewards and excitement that comes with this unique profession?

Certainly, knowing and understanding the qualities of a good teacher can help give direction on the standard of excellence to strive for in order to better achieve the success and rewards.

The qualities of a good teacher are numerous, however, this article focus on a few of the qualities that are still of relevance.

Qualities of a Good Teacher

1. Love for the students and subject

Love for the students and subject is essential because it affects every other quality, inspiration and talent a teacher possess. It is a quality that facilitates assimilation processes in both adults and young ones.

With regards to teaching, love is not narrowed down to simply having a natural affinity to the group you teach. It is also extended to deliberate, cultivated and decisive interest to guide students to academic success and personal goals. If a teacher has no love for the group he teaches, it is not difficult for the student to sense it.

As a result, not only would the student-teacher relationship be affected, but learning process inclusively. Generally, students tend to withdraw from teachers they consider harsh and mean and become reluctant in expressing themselves. In this case, being warm, enthusiastic, approachable and caring goes a long way to bring out the best in students.

Certainly, it is easier to talk about what you love and have an interest on. A teacher’s love for the subject he teaches provides the student with the motivation to learn.

Inspiring the students becomes more difficult when the teacher does not appreciate the subject he teaches. Therefore, by taking a personal interest in the group, a teacher is able to discern the challenges and needs of the students.

2. Master of the subject

Just as it is impossible to give what you don’t have, similarly, it is impossible for teachers to effectively impart a subject that they know little or nothing about.

Good teachers have a higher level of understanding concerning their branch of discipline than their students.  Having a good command of the subject places them on a better edge to tackle difficult questions that may arise from the student.

In turn, such teachers gain confidence in dealing with complex subject matters and are able to approach the subject in different perspectives so as to help students reach an understanding.

Therefore, to avoid clumsy and awkward delivery, good teachers ensure that they prepare adequately and review subject contents ahead of time, while anticipating questions, challenges, and reactions students may have about a topic.

Additionally, good teachers do not just settle on what they already know, they are eager to research and learn new understanding in their field of study. This step sharpens their command over the subject.

3. Effective classroom management skills

Obviously, high quality learning environment are not borne out of chances. Effective classroom management skills, in addition to other measures taken, play a fundamental role in fostering both an environment conducive for learning and student management skills.

Classroom management skills work hand in hand with other positive qualities a teacher possess such as good exercise of educational psychology, positive teacher-student relationship etc.

A teacher must be flexible in adopting different techniques to ensure good student behaviour. They must positively, firmly and persistently reinforce good standards by clearly defining the acceptable and unacceptable behaviour, while avoiding abusive shouting.

In promoting proper classroom decorum, teachers must be creative in directing learners’ attention, interest and energy to up-building classroom participation and productive hands-on-activities to drive home the lessons.

4. Excellent communication skills

Communication forms the main core of teaching. Even so, it goes beyond the ability to speak well concise grammar. As far as teaching is concerned, good communication involves being able to express thoughts and even complex concepts and terms in simple ways for learners to rightly assimilate without misunderstanding.

Because communication is a ‘two way road’, in other words, involving both speaking and listening; teachers must be very good listeners.

They must listen carefully to questions and comments in order to discern the level of understanding and interest of the students. By doing so, they find the correct approach to rightly apply so as to help the student. A teacher becomes a good listener by encouraging interactive based learning.

An effective teacher takes the initiative to draw feedbacks from students through the use of questions, activities or written classwork. They must be knowledgeable in the usage of a variety of words and phrases to help breakdown difficult concepts and terms.

The qualities that help in promoting excellent communication skills include a cheerful disposition, appropriate personal interest in learner’s progress, warmth, and sincerity.

Where the case may be, good teachers keep students’ parents or guardians informed on classroom activities, curriculum, and discipline.

5. Good application of educational psychology

Because learners have their own individual mental, emotional, and behavioural characteristics to learning, teachers must have the ability to employ proper application of educational psychology in learning.

It is important that they understand the characteristics of learners in specified age groups such as pre-schoolers, lower and upper elementary school, adult and old age groups.

They must also understand the stages through which they pass to maturity and be better equip to handle appropriate learning techniques such as:  assessing students’ capabilities and challenges, addressing issues about motivation and classroom management, administering of appropriate discipline, and exercising qualities such as tactfulness and self-control.

7. Creative in the use of technology

The world is constantly changing, so likewise teaching methods. Technology plays an essential role in teaching and learners pace and depth of assimilation.

Good teachers must be able to appropriately and creatively adopt technology such as IPad application, videos, computers, and devices to actively engage and strongly motivate learning.

The use of technology in learning allows students to be focused, develop keen interest to learn, and facilitate assimilation process through the use of their senses.

8. Positive and up-building teacher-student relationship

A positive teacher-student relationship is closely linked to student’s motivation, attitude and progress. It is enhanced through effective communication not only with students, but also their parents or wards, and the school management.

Effective teachers make themselves available in both school committees and activities which are great opportunities to proffer needed changes and get to know students capabilities outside classroom level.

In addition to other effective measures, good teachers are aware that fostering an environment conducive for learning depends on the kind of relationship they build with their students. Effective teachers are able to guide their students through interactive learning.

A teacher who does this not only helps the student achieve their academic goals but likewise their personal goals. Students who derive positive influence from their teachers demonstrate strong confidence, inspiration and greater success more than students who don’t derive such influence.

For this reason, it is important for teachers to regularly and sincerely commend the efforts of their learners.

8. Good organisational skills

Time management, classroom management, proper use of instructional methods and many other management skills a teacher adopts all fall under his or her ability to remain stable, organised and focused.

Effective teachers put in time to research, logically develop and organise course content in the form of lesson notes in order to clearly direct the stages in assimilation and fulfil the objectives.

They must be able to manage time wisely so as not to interfere with class schedules, otherwise, this can affect the manner of delivery and classroom management.

9. Set a good example

Not only do teachers teach by what they say, they equally teach by what they do. Because learning experiences is strongly affected by sight, it’s important for teachers to set good examples of learning habits and moral conduct.

This would encourage their students to be comfortable in learning.

10. Create room for further improvement

Teaching, like many other professions undergo changes as there is marked increased in educational research in modern times.

Therefore, for teachers to remain seasonal, relevant and effective, they must on a regular basis update their teaching skills to fit the various needs and challenges that arise in the field of teaching and learning process.

Conclusion

The list of qualities of a good teacher is certainly exhaustive. However, knowing an aspect of some of these qualities already highlighted in this article can help teachers, teachers-to-be, administrators and guardians be placed on the road to: personal self-development, effective programs, enhanced standard of excellences, good governance and  strategies geared towards fostering a conducive and exciting learning environment, and moreover to reap the true rewards that comes from giving!

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