What makes a good teacher? One may think it is a teacher that has a great deal to offer. Another may may feel that it is someone that leaves an everlasting impact on their life. Regardless of the definition, everyone has sat through a class for a period a day with that one teacher that they consider remarkable. For me to consider a teacher truly great, a few things have to happen. A few characteristics a teacher must contain for me to consider them a good teacher are that they enjoy what they do, they leave an everlasting impact, and that they have fun.
One must have pride in their work to truly enjoy what they are doing. For a teacher, pride and admiration for their job is arguably the most important trait to have because it is a job that comes with such great stress and and determination. With admiration, a job can only become quicker and easier than that of a someone who does not enjoy their job. If a teacher detests her job with a great passion, then it is only going to cause them stress and force stress and hatred upon the students.
We all have those few people in life that leave an impact that we will never forget. A teacher that leaves an impact of such immense proportions is rare to find, but when they arrive, the impact they leave is just as important, if not more important, than any other. One may be impacted by a teacher through their words of wisdom, or the education is which they bring upon the students. For me, what makes a teacher so impacting is one who can relate to their students and understand what they are going through as maturing young adults. They have been in our shoes long ago and they understand the stress and hard work that come along with being a responsible student. For a teacher to connect with their students and offer advice and help to them, remembering that they were once in their position, is of much importance because it shows that teacher truly cares about the students. Also, what makes a teacher impacting is one who offers inspirational and wise points of views to their students. One who inspires helps to aspire. With inspiration from the teacher, comes aspiration from the students to go after their goal and believe that they can do anything.
Lastly, what makes a good teacher is one who can have fun while doing their job at the same time. What makes a boring, dull teacher is one who stuffs notes down the students' throats and hand out the assignment, with no hope of ever having a decent time in class. However, a teacher that takes the lesson, flips it, and turns it into an activity that teaches the students, but also gets them involved and allows them to have fun, helps to make a good teacher. It is always important to find the most amount of fun out of something that can be so boring at times, therefore a teacher that incorporates the lesson plan into a fun activity makes them a teacher of importance and good quality.
Among these characteristics, there are several more that help to make a good teacher. What makes a good teacher is different from student to student, depending on the way that student learns and how they like to incorporate their knowledge. If a teacher does not contain these characteristics or other positive characteristics in their job, then that person should consider taking a different path. It is only going to make their life, and the lives of those students easier if that teacher does not teach. It is avoiding a bad situation that can only get worse and for the students to do well and succeed in the class, they need a teacher that can offer them something that no other can. As students, we look to teachers for advice, knowledge, and encouragement, and if a teacher cannot offer that to their students, then they have no business in the occupation of teaching. Learn we must, succeed we try, and positive influences we need.
