7/31/2019 Op 11 Traits of a Good Teacher

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op 11 traits of a good teacher

by Alan Haskvitz

"Some say that my teaching is nonsense. Others call it lofty but impractical. But to those whohave looked inside themselves, this nonsense makes perfect sense. And to those who put it

into practice, this loftiness has roots that go deep."

-- Lao-Tzu,

First, there is no hard and fast list that tells you who is a good teacher or who is not a good

teacher. However, there are traits that excellent teachers have in common. These are not the

usual qualities such as being a good friend or having a nice personality. These are what

researchers from around the world have found when they watched those teachers whose

students excelled once they left that teacher's classroom. Of course, not every teacher is going

to be a skillful teacher for every child and a child spends only about 8 percent of the year in

school, which means that regardless of the quality of teacher, a supportive home environmentis essential to excellent learning.

1. Be unsatisfied

The first trait of a high-quality teacher is that he or she is a good learner. They are always

eager to learn new things, expand their knowledge base, experiment with better ways to

achieve success. They are lifelong learners and they produce lifelong learners. So, the first

trait is to be unsatisfied with what is. In other words, the best teacher is always a student.

2. High expectations

High expectations are the second trait of outstanding teachers. I once had a principal who said

having high expectations created failure. In other words, the principal did not want to set high

goals for fear of parent complaints. In reality, setting high standards brings out the best in

students and creates in them a feeling of accomplishment. They become self-reliant, learn to

delay gratification, and fit more readily into adulthood where competition is inevitable. High

standards are not impossible standards. Setting high expectations may require making the

student uncomfortable, much like taking the training wheels off a bicycle. In other words,

good teachers encourage risk taking and accept errors.

3. Create independence

Thirdly, highly effective educators are adept at monitoring student problems and progress.

They remediate when necessary and differentiate as needed. To do this they use their timewell. They are not the center of the classroom. The students are encouraged to look for help

and answers on their own. They are passionate about not teaching, but facilitating learning. As

such, they are promoting their own obsolescence. Just as a fine manager has a team in place

that can operate well without him or her, a good teacher creates in a student a sense of self

that lasts a lifetime. They promote a deeper understanding of concepts and work habits than

just learning the curriculum suggests. In other words, they create independence.

4. Knowledgeable

Fourth, they possess a deep knowledge of the subject matter and are able to manipulate,

simplify, and individualize this data more easily because they are a master of it. To gain this

they are not just hard workers, but have a passion for the subject. They are able to empathizewith students who might not like that subject and turn that lack of enthusiasm around by

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presenting the facts from a different angle. In other words, their bumper sticker reads, "This

teacher stops for new ideas."

5. Humor

Fifth, first-class teachers have a good sense of humor. They make jokes and accept jokes.

They are not comedians, but they are entertaining. They tell stories, point out silly things,bring joy to difficult situations, and are not afraid of laughter. They use humor to connect to

their students. In other words, excellent teachers keep the students' attention without fear.

6. Insightful

The sixth trait is to provide quick and accurate assessment of student work. Tests and other

projects are evaluated in a timely manner. The student work may not be filled with red marks

or gold stars, but it is returned with the understanding of what was right and what could be

improved. Without constant evaluation a learning child cannot make the progress of a student

who is guided. A helpful teacher does not discourage original thinking, but it must be proven.

At all times, the best educator is looking for the student's reasoning, rather than the answer. In

other words, for the insightful teacher, student assessment assesses the teacher's performanceand provides ideas of what changes both need to make to improve.

7. Flexible

Seventh, the best teachers use the community as their resource. They see education as more

than what is done in the classroom. They belong to civic groups, participate in organizations,

and use their contacts to enhance student learning. For example, they bring in guest speakers,

seek donations from the community as needs arise, and allow their students to display their

work for the citizenry to critique and enjoy. They use technology as an extension of the

community and find new resources to make their lessons more attractive. They use a

newspaper and current events to open a child's mind to what is happening in the world and at

all times they search for a teachable moment

(any instance where a child expresses an interest in something that could be used to stimulate

their learning). This includes both negative and positive items and is the main reason lesson

plans are never mentioned as a trait of good teaching. Superior teachers abandon them to

follow more encouraging leads. This is why educators and education is so misunderstood by

those who feel children are cans of soup, all alike and open, ready for knowledge to be poured

in and sealed. Excellent teachers encourage student input and use the community to make for

more invigorating teaching. In other words, a quality instructor is a master of flexibility.

8. Diverse

Eighth, a first-rate teacher provides an array of methods to learn. They integrate the lessonsamong several subjects; they use research papers, artwork, poetry and even physical education

as part of the learning process. For example, when a child is studying an explorer the teacher

shows them how many miles per hour they walk, how to create a graph of the calories they

would need, make a map of the trip with legend, write a journal of what they saw, draw

pictures of the flora and fauna, and make a presentation of what the student felt was the best

and worst part of the discovery. In other words, the proficient educator offers children a

diverse array of avenues to pursue excellence.

9. Unaccepting

Ninth, a quality teacher is unaccepting. They do not accept pat answers. They do not accept

first drafts. They do not accept false excuses. They are not the easiest teachers because of thistrait. Education is, in essence, the disciplining of the mind. A student who knows the rules

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knows what to expect and knows what is right. The best teachers are those that have

appropriate standards and that build good habits. In other words, a superior teacher

understands what a child needs now and in the future.

10. Unconforming

The tenth, and perhaps most interesting trait, is that a quality teacher keeps children offbalance. The student is not bored, but challenged. When a child who has a skillful teacher

comes home, they talk about what they did in class. They are riled up, they are motivated, and

they know they need to be ready for the unexpected. A high-quality teacher can be dressed up

in an outfit, show a video, take them to the library, have them work on a project, create

lessons for one another, work on a computer, proofread a classmate's work, and invent a game

to play at recess, all before noon. One day is seldom like the next. There is continuity, but

diversity is everywhere.

11. A communicator

Of note is that not one research paper said a trait of good quality teachers were their bulletin

boards, tidy rooms, easy grades, ability to write neatly or dress well. All the traits dealt withthe ability to trigger learning, and thus the most important trait of all is the ability to

communicate.

Below are traits of good teachers as expressed by young people around the world.

From Indonesia:A great teacher smiles to his/her pupils even when they screw him up.

A good teacher shows the whole wide world to the students.

From India:One who help his students in all respects. He makes his students able to live better life. He

teaches students to take decisions in all the conditions.

From Croatia:A really good teacher should be child in his soul . . .

From Ireland:

It is fundamental that a teacher cares about humanity in general.

From Chile:

A good teacher is someone who can learn from his students, who can learn with them, and forthem.

From Egypt:To win their confidence should be the teacher's first aim - though strictness has to be in its

place.

From Germany:A good teacher, of course, has to be humorous. A teacher has to enjoy what she does!

Has to remember how it was when he/she was a child

From Pakistan:A guide.

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A real friend is someone who knows all about you and still he loves you. A good teacher is a

good friend.

Good teaching is keeping yourself in the shoes of your students.

From Malaysia:

One who doesn't 'teach' but instead is willing to 'learn' with the child and from the child.

From Mexico:The teacher is to the students what the rain is to the field.

From Chad:A good teacher should answer all questions, even if they are stupid.

From Jamaica:To become a good teacher, you not only teach the children, but you also have to learn from

them.

From Nigeria:A good teacher must be prepared to be foolish if that will help his pupil attain wisdom.