Characteristics and Qualities Of A Good Teacher
75
"A good teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." - Henry Adams.
Every teacher wants to be a good teacher, but what is this myth about being a 'good teacher? Who is it? What are the characteristics of a good teacher? And how can you become a good teacher?
Teaching jobs are often lucrative and satisfying for people who love to teach. I am a teacher too, though I do not think myself as a very good teacher, but I know one thing that majority of my students do love me, and I guess this is the point where good things start to happen.
I was thinking about what are the characteristics of a good teacher and how can I become a good teacher? or Which characteristics and qualities should a good teacher possess? So I came up with some qualities which I found most relevant for a person involve in a teaching job. I believe if a teacher possesses the following characteristics and qualities, he/she can become a very good teacher with a lot of fan base too.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD TEACHER:
Following are the characteristics of a good teacher:
1. Friendly and Congenial:
I think the most important characteristic of a good teacher can have is to be friendly and congenial with his students. It is a plus point for a teacher, if his students can share their problems with him, without being afraid or hesitant. I think students have always thoughts their teachers as their enemies (in a funny sense though :p). With this mentality, they can never be close to each other, and besides that how many teachers did you like who were NOT friendly, and were rather arrogant and rude?
2. Personality:
A good teacher has a very good personality; there is no second thought about it. Students always get attracted to teachers with good personality and characteristics which leads to better communication, understanding and ultimately good results. Everyone can have a good, decent, likable and presentable personality. Just dress sensibly good, smell good, and be a little gentle and kind. That's all.
3. Knowledge and Teacher's Education:
Another important characteristic of a good teacher is his knowledge and own education. As there is a saying that 'a teacher is only as good as his knowledge is'. After all, he is doing a teacher's job, which is to teach. If he himself lacks in the knowledge of a certain subject that he teaches, he is never going to make a name for himself as a good teacher. So, sign up with only that subjects which you have really good expertise; and it is a moral duty of every teacher too. Otherwise, it is not worth it.
4. A Good Communicator:
One of the very important characteristics of a good teacher is his communication skills. He should be a very good speaker. This characteristic will benefit a teacher in several ways. For example:
i) If his communication skills are good, he can convey his lectures with better skill and results.
ii) If a teacher is a good speaker, his class strength increases automatically. People love to hear a person who he can speak well enough. There is always a shortage of good speakers in the world ;)
5. A Good Listener:
Apart from being a good communicator, a good teacher should also have the characteristic of being an even better listener. As there is Turkish proverb:
"If speaking is silver; then listening is gold."
Remember, a good listener will always have many friends and fans. Because people do not want to hear every time, they need persons who can listen to them as well. And when a good teacher develops this patient quality in himself, he starts to become a great teacher.
6. Good sense of humor:
A good teacher should also have the quality and characteristic of having a good sense of humor. It is a logical fact, that a person generally teaches the next generation and as they are younger than the teacher, they are expected to have more fun in the class too. So, a good teacher is the one who can cope up with his sense of humor, and with his strong communication skills and personality, can also maintain the discipline of the class.
7. Be Kind:
The last but obviously one of the most important characteristics of a good teacher to have in his box of qualities. He should be a gentle, kind, chivalrous and a benevolent person. Students should love him, and when they do love him, they idolize him. Then ultimately, they will respect him, will do his homework and eventually will bring greater outputs and results.
POLL TIME!
Which is the most important characteristic of a good teacher?
See results without votingI hope these little tips on the characteristics of a good teacher will help you out. If you have any queries, feel free to ask in the comments' section and if you like to share your personal experience or thoughts, feel free to share. I AM A GOOD LISTENER :)
Be gentle, be kind, take care.
vote upvote downshareprintflag
- Useful (6)
- Funny
- Awesome (1)
- Beautiful (1)
- Interesting (3)
CommentsLoading...
I agree with you that who you are as a person often affects who you are as a teacher, too. The best teachers are good people at heart. Above and beyond that, I think good teachers let students explore and discover instead of just tell tell tell, and they let the students do most of the talking. There's more to it than that, but if you do those two things, you are on your way to a discovery-based classroom that will engage your students.
@writer20: Good teachers are really an asset in our life, and a blessing. They help is so many ways that we discover in various patches and passages of our lifetime. Congratulations for having such wonderful teachers in your life.
@Acsutliff: I totally agree with you. A teacher helps the students to discover their own ways, thoughts and motivate them to develop mentally with utmost confidence. Without, the things you mentioned, it is not possible.
Thanks alot for the Hub.
@doqli: My pleasure :)
You write very interestingly my friend. I agree with your points.
Thanks for sharing such an interesting hub:)
More importantly, teachers--paticularly at the high school level where I teach--must be able to relate every lesson to everyday life. We should be able to tell students every single day how that particular content, process or both will benefit them once they leave school and hopefully become the critical thinking, productive citizens we want them to be.
Great tips. A good teacher is hard to find and when you find one, you find gold. It's invaluable. Thanks for sharing.
@gekeye: Very good point. Highly appreciable. Thank you
@anglnwu: Thank you for you comment and appreciation.
And yes you are absolutely right: when you find a good teacher, you find gold. :)
I wish I had you as a teacher when I was going to school.
"If speaking is silver; then listening is gold."
This is so true.
Someone may possess knowledge or even have expertise but that does not make them a good teacher. The characteristics you describe do.
Voted up up and away.
@Sueswan: Thank you so much. Your comment made my day :) Be blessed.
GREAT article! School starts in 2 days in Orlando...I am going to share this with my Facebook friends because I have many teachers who would appreciate it. Thank you for the hub!
I agree with you, I am not a teacher but will use your tips to be a good teacher at home - my kids.
@Sunshine625: I am honoured that you consider my article that much good enough. Thank you very much :)
@Ihchan: Best of luck. I hope this little effort of mine will produce good results for you and your kids :)
I ran into my 4th grade school teacher at a funeral. I have so many pleasant memories of her. Isn't it amazing how they can affect you.?I have much respect for anyone who teaches. They are the very people when spend the most time with our kids. I could not be a teacher.
I am a school teacher. I agree your point of view.
Useful information which is well shared,Thanks for sharing as i look forward to your hubs.
Hunbbel, I couldn't do the 'vote' box. I needed to click more than one answer.
This is a great hub, and one of the reaons I enjoyed it so much is ... I was blessed with spectacular teachers!
That they were smart, was only a small part of the reason I think that. Not only were they smart (the ones I deemed spectacular), but, they were sensitive and inspiring!
They saw past the designer clothes, or the shabby clothes, and went straight for the heart of their students. They inspired them to be better tomorrow than they were today. They recognized their strengths and and added to them, as well as deciphering their weaknesses and provided extra attention and tools to help them overcome.
I still love teachers, and several of mine still keep in touch with me, even the ones from way back in grammar school.
@femmaflashpoint: It is so glad to hear that you have such a big space in your heart for your beloved teachers. It is indeed a great blessing to have a good teacher in your life. This is a tribute to all of them; anywhere in the world. May God bless them all!
Thank you for stopping by :)
Useful information which is well shared,Thanks for sharing as i look forward to your hubs.THANKX
i really liked this hope you will continue to write
writer20 Level 8 Commenter 9 months ago
I still remember two of my great teachers, one taught Geography and the History. The history teacher also taught my mother, eldest sister however she retired before my kid sister arrived there. These two made themsleves available to all when ever there was a need.