The 5 Qualities Of A Good Teacher
When it comes to talking about the qualities of a good teacher, we can find a lot of articles about it. That can even create more doubts than we have before we start reading on the subject.
So, it is best to go to research on the subject. After reviewing the latest studies, it is easy to discover what are the five most important qualities that make up a good teacher.
Qualities of a good teacher: instills confidence
In the book 50 Ways to Improve Student Behavior ( 50 ways to improve student behavior ), the school teacher Todd Whitaker emphasizes low confidence of students as one of the most persistent obstacles to the success of any teacher.
So the bottom line is obvious: If students who don’t believe in themselves have trouble in the classroom, those who do believe in themselves will be better equipped to succeed academically. The teacher must make the students trust him so that they end up trusting themselves.
Manage the classroom effectively
A teacher can be well informed, prepared and even a great communicator and still end up failing because of the inability to deal with, for example, bad behavior in the classroom. Classroom management encompasses all the strategies that a teacher can perform to organize and order students, material, space, and use of time.
In this classroom management, we must seek the efficiency of teaching and learning. This helps students enjoy an organized and structured environment with a positive educational environment conducive to learning.
A good teacher is prepared
Among the qualities of a good teacher must be included that of preparation. A good teacher comes to class every day prepared to teach. James Stronge writes in his book Qualities of Effective Teachers :
‘Preparation’ may seem like a confusing term ; Two different teachers may have completely different definitions of what, exactly, constitutes a truly prepared instructor.
The foundation of preparation, being as objective as possible, is knowing the content : preparing the content is essential for high-quality teaching. The teacher must understand the main concepts, assumptions, debates, research processes …
It must also be taken into account that knowledge of the subject is not a fixed set of facts, but rather that it is something complex and is constantly evolving. In addition, the teacher must use multiple representations and explanations of concepts with key ideas linked to the students’ prior knowledge.
High expectations, basic quality of a good teacher
A good teacher sets high expectations. He does not put limits on his students. They have high standards, constantly challenging students to do their best. Also, by doing this they are caring professionals who teach students to believe in themselves.
As educators, you have to know how to always expect the best from your students and encourage them to know their full potential. Of course, you have to keep in mind that doing it daily is a challenge.
A good teacher practices self-reflection
A 2010 study conducted at the University of Buffalo on the role of critical reflection in teacher education concluded that teachers must continually examine and evaluate their attitudes, practices, effectiveness, and achievements.
The same study found that critical reflection enhances teachers’ knowledge and skills, and that it can help teachers to understand in depth the ways in which their teaching styles enhance their ability to challenge the traditional mode of practice and define how. they will grow as teachers.
A good idea might be to use a daily reflection tool, such as a journal. In it we can make a record of significant learning experiences and take stock of the events of the day looking for what strengths and weaknesses in the learning-teaching process have appeared.
Conclution
There is no single solution to the question of what are the qualities of a good teacher. For those who have never taught, it can be difficult to understand how diverse the dynamics and skills it takes to be a good teacher can be. If we consider working on these five qualities that we have just seen, we will be on the right track.
