The qualities of a good teacher affect the students. Teachers have to interact with the students in the classroom. The quality of that interaction depends upon the qualities of the teachers. The best quality interaction from the teachers’ end is necessary for the bright future of the students. As a teacher, you should try to acquire these qualities. If a teacher has all the qualities of a good teacher, his students will remember him for the rest of his life. These qualities are also helpful for the teachers to create a strong teacher-student relationship. Here, we will discuss the 10 qualities of a good teacher.
10 Qualities of a Good Teacher
1. Clear Communication
While teaching in the classroom, a teacher has to identify the needs of the students. To identify the needs of the students, he has to use verbal and non-verbal communication skills. He knows when to listen and when to talk with the students. He has also developed written communication skills. These developed written communication skills are helpful for him to prepare reports for parents and other school professionals. To develop these kinds of skills, teachers can use two essential tips. First of all, he tries to make use of active listening skills. It means that before giving a response to the students, he tries to understand their needs attentively.
After listening to the needs of the students, he tries to give some time to himself. During this time, he tries to understand the main concept behind the question of the students. On the other hand, if he tries to give respond to the students’ questions without understanding them clearly, he can’t provide the best instructions to the students. Secondly, if he doesn’t understand the question of the students, he asks them to repeat the question. He also tries to repeat the question. While repeating the question, he demands more clarification from the students.
2. Adaptability and Flexibility
Each student comes to an educational institute from a unique background. These students have individual educational needs, personalities, and development milestones. If a teaching method works well for an individual student, it may not work for the other student. A good teacher knows the individual needs of the students. He tries to adjust his teaching methods according to the individual needs of the students. If a teacher wants to adjust himself according to the individual needs of the students, he should try to follow two steps.
First of all, he should try to provide a comfortable environment in the class. When he will provide a comfortable environment in the class, students will feel the freedom to share their thoughts and questions in the classroom. It is the best way to develop the academic career of the students. Secondly, a good teacher can identify the different learning styles of the students. After identifying the different learning styles of the students, he tries to create lesson plans by keeping in mind the individual needs of the students. If he has to teach students of different educational needs, he tries to deliver the lecture by using blending methods. The blending methods are helpful for a teacher to appeal to more students at one time.
3. Listening Skills
To become a good teacher, you should also make sure that you are listening to your students and that your students are also listening to you. When you will deliver a lesson to your students, your students will ask some questions about the lesson. If they are asking questions, it means that they are facing some problems in understanding your lesson. The only way to give possible answers to their questions is to attentively listen to these questions. The impressive listening skills of the students are also helpful for them to understand the students in a better way.
According to Aristotle, for better teaching, you should understand the students in a better way. Listening skills are also helpful for teachers to know which educational strategies are working well for a specific group of students and which are not working well. A teacher should also know that each student has a unique way to express his views. Careful listening will also be helpful to you to understand the unique views of all the students. The strong listening skills of a teacher are also helpful for him to improve communication between him and his students. Therefore, we can say that strong listening skills are also one of the important qualities of a good teacher.
4. Friendly Attitude
Having a friendly attitude is also one of the most important qualities of a good teacher. The friendly attitude of the teachers will be helpful for them to become more approachable for the students. With the help of a friendly attitude, a teacher can also motivate the students to take an active part in their studies. The students will also feel free to ask questions. This thing will not only increase teacher-student communication but it will also create a positive learning environment in the class. It is also helpful for the teachers to create a friendly environment in the class. Students will also start to trust the teachers.
That’s why a good teacher tends to be open and friendly to the students. A friendly attitude will also be helpful for the teachers to build a relationship of trust between the teachers and the students. If students have enough trust in the teachers, they will never feel ashamed to take an active part in classroom communications. When students will take an active part in classroom communication, they can strengthen their knowledge and productivity. This quality of the teachers will also be helpful for them to take the teaching-learning process to the next level. If a student has a friendly nature, he will also become a memorable teacher.
5. Organizational Skills
A good teacher is also a good organizer. Without organizational skills, a teacher will have to face lots of problems. He will lose his grip on the deadlines. He can’t complete all the tasks. A teacher without organizational skills doesn’t have high expectations. By using organizational skills, the teachers will also deliver the lectures effectively. These organizational skills will provide an idea to the teachers on how to start a lecture and how to conclude the lecture. These skills will also be helpful for the teachers to gather the material for the next classes.
Due to poor organization skills, a teacher will not only become a cause of educational waste but he will also become a cause of the waste of time. By utilizing organizational skills, teachers can easily get an idea about the educational needs of the students. After knowing their educational needs, teachers can devise lectures. They know how to teach effectively to clear the concepts of the students. Moreover, teachers have to complete courses within a limited period. Organizational skills will also play a vital role in completing the courses before the deadline.
6. Kid-Friendly Teaching Environment
If you want to make your lecture more effective for the students, you will have to create a kid-friendly teaching environment. A teacher is a role model for the students. Therefore, he should try to set the best examples in the classroom. He should devise the classroom rules. After devising the classroom rules, he should also try to follow these rules. On the other hand, if a teacher is smoking, eating, and drinking in the classroom, he can’t create a kid-friendly teaching environment. Moreover, if he will do these things in class, he will set bad examples in the classroom.
Moreover, teachers should also stay away from cigarettes and alcohol not only in the classroom but also outside of the classroom. If he will involve himself in these kinds of activities, he will disrupt the classroom system and setting. When students will see this kind of attitude from the teachers, this thing will harm the well-being of the students. The students will also try to follow these things. This kind of attitude of the students can create physical and mental issues for the students. In short, we can say that a teacher should try to wear proper professional teaching attire.
7. Strong Work Ethic
If you are a teacher, you are well aware of the fact that teaching is one of the hardest jobs in the world. To become a great teacher, you will have to help the students. It means that you should be willing to help the students all the time. A good teacher has to spend enough time in updating the knowledge. Its reason is that there is no limit to knowledge. Moreover, scientists are discovering new things day by day. If a teacher stops the learning process, he can’t teach well.
8. Expert Use of Instructional Methods
It is also one of the most important qualities of a good teacher that he has full command of various instructional methods. A good teacher never relies on a single instructional method. Its reason is that all the students in the classroom don’t have the same learning abilities. If we will try to teach all the students by applying the same teaching methods, we can’t satisfy all the students. That’s why we have to divide the class into mini-groups. After dividing the class into mini-groups, we will have to teach them by using different teaching methods.
The most important instructional methods for teachers are problem-based learning, interactive lectures, multiple intelligences, cooperative groups, etc. A teacher should try to get command of all of these teaching methods. After getting a command of these teaching methods, they should also decide the suitable instructional method for a particular group of students. If a teacher wants to get command of these instructional methods, he should try to research the material from various resources. A good teacher should also find the best teaching method based on his skills and abilities. They can also introduce technology in the classroom.
9. In-depth Content Knowledge
Whether you are a progressive educator or a conservative educator, you can’t deny the importance of content. It is also one of the most important qualities of a good teacher that he has a solid command of the content. A solid command of the content will be helpful for the teachers to convey their lectures effectively. Instead of having a solid command of the content of the subject, a teacher should also spend enough time preparing for the lecture. While preparing for the lecture, he should try to find out suitable daily life examples to explain his point of view. He should also formulate the best questions that he can discuss in class.
10. Good Classroom Management Skills
A good teacher has also good classroom management skills. Classroom management means that teachers have to use a wide variety of skills and techniques to organize the students. By utilizing classroom management skills, teachers can make the students more productive. It is the best way to enhance learning in the classroom. Without classroom management skills, a teacher can fill the classroom with students. After filling the classroom with students, he doesn’t bother whether they are paying attention to their studies or not. If students are not paying attention to their studies, a teacher can’t achieve his goals. A teacher can show good classroom management skills in various ways. Some of them are given below;
i. A teacher should take care of himself as well as his students.
ii. He should try to build relationships with the students.
iii. A teacher should set rules and boundaries for the students. He should also try to set expectations for the students.
iv. A teacher should try to use a strength-based approach to implement these rules in the classroom.
v. He should contact the parents and guardians. In other words, he should try to involve the parents and guardians in the implementation of rules and guidelines in the classroom.
