ALT-9 What Abilities must you have to become a Teacher
Think about the best teacher you ever had. Consider why you think this one teacher stands out from all your other former teachers. Was it the knowledge they held in their subject? Was it the way they lectured (or did not lecture)? Was it their school spirit? Or was it simply that they showed the most understanding and caring for you, their student.
There are many qualities and abilities that every teacher must have to be successful. Some of these qualities include:
1. Pride & Professionalism - A teacher who consistently displays pride and professionalism instills that same sense of pride and professionalism in their students. A teacher who enters class each morning unshaved and with their shirt hanging out is going to find it extremely difficult to earn their classes respect. Without the respect and attention of the students, a teacher will be hard pressed to teach.
2. Respect - The teacher who shows their students respect will gain the respect of their students. Those teachers who disregard their students as people (whether children or adult) will quickly become the caretaker of a daycare class. Additionally, if you want to earn respect, you must be willing and able to give respect as well.
3. Patience - Every teacher will run across students of varying capabilities. Some students will read the work one time, and be able to pass the test. Others will pore over that same subject for hours, and yet still not comprehend the basic tenets. Each student has their strong points and also their weak points. A teacher must be willing to invest his/her time in those students who do not necessarily learn as fast as others.
4. Adaptability - Just as some students learn faster or slower than others, each student also has their own individual learning style. Some learn faster by taking notes, others by drawing diagrams on the white board/chalk board, still others need hands-on learning. The best teachers will adapt their teaching to their students. The teacher who wants to make all students adapt to the teacher's style are doomed to have many students get the failing grade on the behalf of the teacher who really failed.
5. Knowledge and Understanding of topic - Nearly anybody can read out of a book and teach a class. However, a teacher will not only know the particular details of a topic, but will also understand how all of the different parts of the subject interact and work together. If you cannot understand the subtleties of your topic, then your impact as a teacher will be significantly less.
6. Caring - The most important quality to being a teacher, is to actually care for your students well-being. If you care about your student as a human being, they will know, and they will respond to that. Equally true is that if you do not care about, or are indifferent to your students, they will also recognize this, and respond in a similar manner. A student that knows their teacher cares will work harder, and achieve significantly more than one with an uncaring instructor.
To summarize, the most important ability a teacher must have, is the ability to start out with their students respect, and through establishing a two-way rapport with each and every student, driving that students own desire to reach the stars.
When you think of your favorite teacher from your own past, I would be willing to bet money that they had it all of the above abilities. Am I right?
