Qualities of a Teacher

            One quality a teach needs is the ability to listen to their students, not just hear what they are saying, but active listening.  There is no way a teacher can know if their students are having an issue, either academic or non-academic, if they do not actually listen to what the student is saying.  This listening needs to be active.  Looking at the student as they are talking to you, mirroring their non-verbal cues, nodding you head to show you understand, asking questions to a student if the teacher does not understand what they are saying and restating what they are saying are all ways of active listening.  A teacher that shows a student they are actually listening will be able to help and understand a student with issue.  This in turn will lead to a strong student/teacher relationship.

            Another quality a teacher needs is passion.  Passion for the subject they are teaching.  If a teacher is not passionate about the subject they are teaching there is no way they will be able to actually teach this subject to the students.  A teacher has to teach with passion, with enthusiasm, every day.  This will show the student that the teacher is really is interested in the subject that they want to teach, that this is more than just a job.  This in turns leads to more and effective learning.

            The next quality a teacher needs goes hand in hand with passion.  This quality is knowledge of the subject that is being taught.  It may seem obvious but a strong knowledge of the subject matter is an essential quality.  If a teacher doesn’t have the command of the subject matter they will in no doubt fail to teach that subject matter to the student.  A teach can have all the passion for a subject but without the knowledge there is no way a student will learn that subject.  The same goes for the teacher with the knowledge but no passion.  Without both the student will not learn.

            A final quality a teacher needs is compassion.  Compassion for the student and what may be happening both inside and outside of school.  A teacher needs to know that outside their specific classroom, students have a life.  There are other classes, there are other obligations and there are issues that exist outside the school setting.  If something happens that affects a student, a teacher needs to take that into consideration when making a decision.  The teacher needs to help that student work through the issue. Working through the issue with the student will show that student and others in the class that the teacher understands that sometimes “real life” just happens.

            By no means is this an exhaustive list of what qualities a teacher needs in order to be a successful teacher.  These are, to me, some of the most important qualities.