Being a teacher is a rewarding career choice, but are you certain you’ve got what it takes to be a good one? There are certain qualifications you have to obtain, and there are also several qualities it’s important to possess. Ask anyone what makes a good teacher and you’ll get a variety of answers as there is no tried and tested formula. In order to succeed in the classroom, however, there are certain personality traits that can provide a solid foundation for this type of career.
Whether you want to teach high school, college, young adults, or are more interested to learn what early childhood education is here, the following characteristics are key to making a great teacher.
Practice Patience
One of the most important traits of a teacher is patience. Whatever level you decide to teach at, you’ll find your patience tested on an almost daily basis. You’ll be required to show patience often in a number of challenging situations and circumstances. The only way to deal with all the factors that affect the classroom environment is with patience and understanding.
Enhance Your Learning
For anybody looking to enhance or progress their teaching career, taking further programs are a way to take your knowledge one step further. Want to learn more about our continuing teacher education? By expanding your knowledge through an education program, you can be sure you are carrying out the best practices in the classroom, with study, experience, and confidence on your side. There are flexible, scalable options to enhance your career, such as taking a MEd degree online, so be sure to do your research if this is the right step for you.
Have Compassion
To be patient and understanding, you have to be able to put yourself if the shoes of your pupils and appreciate what they’re going through. If you know what they’re thinking and feeling you’ll be better equipped to provide what they need. Having compassion means you’ll be willing to try anything in order to reach all your students.
Organized and Resourceful
There are going to be times when it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day and the only way to get through them is by being organized and resourceful. You should be able to organize your time and plan lessons so that they can be integrated across a range of classes. Resourcefulness is an important quality because education systems are well-known for being under-funded. This means you have to be creative and use the supplies you have effectively. You may well find your home filling up with various bits, and pieces you know will come in handy in the future, so it pays to be organized.
Up for a Challenge
You can expect a wide range of obstacles to get in your way and it would be easy to give up on achieving your student’s learning goals. A good teacher is one who is never discouraged and will happily rise to any challenges that get in the way. You will need to remain focused on both long and short-term objectives as this adds value to the experiences of your students.
Optimistic
Is your glass always half full? This is just the right kind of outlook for a teacher to have because the expectations of a teacher often impact on student outcomes. A good teacher is one who knows that the success of their students depends on the way in which they are encouraged. Believing in your students and having the highest expectations of them will be what make you a powerful teacher.
One last quality worth mentioning is flexibility. There are no typical school days, and you have to be able to approach each one with an open mind and a sense of humor.
