“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.”Chinese Proverbs
Become a Teacher 101
“Teacher”! “Teacher”!! I don’t understand.
Those where the constant words my teachers would hear coming out of my tiny mouth. Luckily I had some great teachers and mentors who did not get discouraged and would inspire me to reach new heights. We are all unique beings with diverse talents and perspectives that have capacity to teach others. Fortunately teaching does not have to be something that is confined only to the classroom.
We can all contribute something valuable, and if we cultivate a few qualities can make our contribution more meaningful by teaching and motivating others along the way. Below are some qualities one should strive for to become a great teacher. Remember to not overestimate others and never underestimate yourself, if you look deep enough you have something to teach the world. One of the greatest feelings you will ever get is to be a part of another human beings progress.
I Want To Become a Teacher Where Do I Start: The Top 19 Qualities To Cultivate
1. Engaging/ Relevant: Teaching is a two way street, if the student is not engaged, your efforts will have been wasted. You need to get a student interested, excited, and enthusiastic about learning. Get to know your students desires, how can you teach in a way that is relevant to the things they want.
2. Good Evaluators: Good teachers are aware of their student’s skill sets and abilities. They are able to teach without getting to far ahead of their students abilities. They are able to stimulate the student to the next level of progress. They know when to push their students and when to back off and give them space to contemplate on their own.
3. Creative: To be become a great teacher you need to have an open mind and be creative in your approaches to teaching. Everyone learns in different ways, so you must find new creative exciting ways to make learning an enjoyable experience.
4. Good Attitude: Your attitude determines everything, when you have a great attitude you take great pride in sharing what you know, and the student will also be more receptive to you.
5. Clear/Concise: One of my pet peeves was when my teachers made a simple exercise complicated by giving unclear instructions. Many times people like to complicate things to seem intelligent or superior. Remember this is not about you; make sure you make it as easy as possible for a student to learn.
6. Organized: Time is precious and many don’t have the luxury to spend large amounts of time learning something new. Make sure to think ahead of anything you might need and be prepared so that you are able to focus on the learning experience.
7. Clear Objectives: Students need a target, be upfront with what they will be learning. If your idea is too vague or abstract a student will see no point in paying attention.
8. Empathy: Depending on your students abilities, learning complex ideas can be emotionally draining. When your students hit a wall or an obstacle, empathize with them. Try to focus on the positive, find ways to encourage them to fight through the difficulties.
9.Flexible: Many times things don’t go according to plan, if something is not working, re group and try a new approach.
10. Genuine/ Interested: Have a sincere interest in your students, if they know you care, they will go the extra mile to do their part. This is also an opportunity for you to learn as well.
11. Sober/ Professional: I remember having a few college professors who had to be drunk; there could not be another explanation to why the lecture was so terrible. Your appearance matters as well, think about what context and learning environment you will be in.
12. Knowledgeable: As obvious as this sounds, if you are not knowledgeable on a certain topic how can you teach it to someone else. Once you have your objective, make sure you do the necessary research, so that you can be confident in your ability to teach. If you are teaching something that is highly specialized, make sure you make the effort to continue your education. Subscribe to trade magazines, read up on the latest developments, go to seminars, etc.
13. Balance: Creating balance in our lives is critical. If we are to be good teachers we need to have a good balance in our mind, body, and spirit. When we neglect a certain aspect to our being, its effects spill over and sabotage our efforts.
14. Inspiring: A teacher who can inspire their students has the potential to awaken talents, that the students where not even aware they possessed. Someone who is inspired will go to great lengths to see their objective carried out.
15. Confidence: A teacher, who is confident in himself, will teach in a way that instills confidence in the student. The student will be assured that what they are learning is valuable and accurate. If a student senses that you are not confident in yourself will doubt your abilities to teach. If my friend is teaching me how to approach woman but he himself is not confident in his ideas, how will I be confident in applying what he is trying to teach me.
16. Respectful: Learn to be aware of age, gender, and cultural differences. We all come from different backgrounds learn to be respectful and seek to understand others.
17. Clear Expectations: Don’t promise a Mercedes Benz if you can only deliver a Ford Escort. Make sure you set realistic expectations in your student, than strive to go above and beyond.
18. Keep your ego in check: This is all about the learning process, don’t take anything personally when you commit a mistake or your student proves that you are wrong. Teaching is a very fulfilling and rewarding experience if you don’t let your ego get involved.
19. Adaptable: Finally the last quality to a great teacher is his ability to adapt. Change is the only constant, when circumstances change, learn to let go and embrace whatever is needed to progress.
Well there you have it, 19 qualities that if you are able cultivate within you, will almost guarantee that you become a successful teacher in and out of the classroom.
If you are a teacher who would like to live and work abroad check out this post: “How To leave America and Become a Vagabond”
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Currently living in: South Korea
Great list of qualities… You’ve painted a picture of an engaged teacher, one who is willing to learn and evolve with the student rather than handing down information. Transfer of knowledge is fluid, a dialogue. This list of qualities captures that.
Alaya
.-= Alaya´s last blog ..alayamorning: Approach every moment with a curious mind. RT @NotGodinREPOSTs: The scientific method http://ff.im/-6ryU0 =-.
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mezz Reply:
August 16th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
thank you so much for contributing to my blog, very much appreciated
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I think a good teacher is also a good listener. He / she needs to HEAR the questions in order to answer them, and be able to relate to the student asking it.
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mezz Reply:
August 16th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
most def.
…thank you so much for contributing 
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I like how these qualities imply a certain initiative … that we must first want to be a great teacher in order to be one.
These qualities are also great for being a great student
.-= Stacy´s last blog ..To have a nice day … =-.
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mezz Reply:
August 16th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
thank you stacy
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Thanks for the article. Having been a teacher (and a principal), I agree! I would have liked to see “honest” on the list. For example, sometimes a teacher just doesn’t know the answer. Being able to say “I don’t know” is ok, and being able to admit mistakes is divine. We learn from “failing” as much as we learn from success, if not more so. (Failing does not mean being a failure.)
.-= Stephen Fofanoff´s last blog ..The World Famous Sailboat Method =-.
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Hi Ivan,
Good stuff here! I used to teach and you’ve outlined some of the most important qualities. If I had to add a 20th, it would be a Democratic Spirit.
Sometimes you just have to go with the flow, and let the students take you where you need to go. When you get to set on trying to control the classroom environment, sometimes what you’re teaching is flying right over the students’ heads. Or worse, you could be boring them!
I’d often let the students take the reins, and see where that took us. Most often, it would be interesting. They’d be active, engaged, and we’d all learn in the process. Even me!
Cheer,
Miche
.-= Miche´s last blog ..How to Get From Boredom to Intuition =-.
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