As Albert Einstein once commented: “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”
As this quote shows, a good teacher doesn’t just impart knowledge. They instill a passion for learning in their students. Their impact can stay with their students for a lifetime and go on to affect future generations.
No doubt all of us have at least one good teacher we remember from our school days who impacted our lives with their teaching and personality. Let’s take a look at the qualities of a good teacher and how teachers can change lives for the better.
The Qualities of a Good Teacher
We expect teachers to know their subjects through and through. But it’s usually their qualities that have the biggest impact on us.
Outstanding Communicators
A teacher needs to understand their subject so well that they can communicate it clearly and simply.
Children can quickly develop phobias around subjects like math. But good teachers communicate their subject in a way that even a young child can grasp. They help to develop engaged, enthusiastic learners.
Communicating also involves listening. The best teachers understand the need to give their students the chance to express themselves. This helps them to understand their students’ anxieties and prior knowledge and tailor their teaching to their needs.
When students feel listened to, they’re in turn more receptive to what the teacher has to tell them.
Team Players
A good teacher recognizes the importance of collaboration. They’ll consult experts to learn how to address the challenges their students are facing. They’ll work successfully with others in the school environment to achieve the best outcomes for learners.
Engage Students
Good teachers engage all their students by developing a relatable classroom presence. Students are able to recognize the authority of a teacher who treats them with respect while maintaining order in the classroom.
In elementary school, an engaging teacher may be right down on their knees at the student’s level. They give them one-on-one attention and help them to understand new concepts. In high school, there may be more use of humor to engage the class.
How Teachers Create Long-Term Impact
A good teacher helps his or her students to achieve good grades in their exams. But their impact goes much further.
Role Models
Teachers change lives when they act as positive role models for children. They provide an example of a competent, responsible adult. They’re also examples of dedication to their profession, which can help to instill discipline and a sense of purpose in children as they grow up.
Good teachers will unconsciously pass on their world view to their students. The way they speak, the way they handle confrontation and even their punctuality all serve as models for children to follow. They spend six to eight hours a day with children, providing lots of opportunities to shape young minds.
Children often learn more through observation and imitation. The behavior a good teacher models while a child is young is likely to influence how they handle situations throughout their entire life.
Love of Learning
The best teachers are also good students.
They love learning, are constantly inquisitive, and are open to new information and ideas. This curiosity helps them to share their love of learning with their students.
A good teacher takes students on a journey and is also open to learning along the way. A good teacher can learn from his or her students and doesn’t feel that he or she is above them. This can help students to develop empathy, humility, and an unending desire to learn more.
Develop Students’ Soft Skills
A good teacher recognizes that a student needs more than the hard skills of math, English, and science to make their way in the world. They also need to develop soft skills. This includes:
- Communication
- Leadership
- Conflict management
- Decision making
- Time management
Some of these skills such as leadership and decision making can be developed through classroom activities. But much else is learned through observation and through the teacher’s classroom management.
For example, a good teacher handles lateness with tact and firmness. They make it clear that it’s not acceptable, but not in a way that embarrasses the student. They reinforce the importance of punctuality by personally setting an excellent example.
Foster Self-Esteem
It’s unlikely that anyone remembers with fondness a teacher who belittled them or robbed them of confidence. But the praise and constructive feedback of a good teacher can impact self-esteem for years to come. Students with healthy self-esteem are more likely to be motivated learners who are able to push themselves to take on new challenges.
For example, a good teacher gives students the confidence to attempt tasks that they find difficult. For many students, public speaking is a real challenge. But a good teacher will help their student to prepare well and do something that pushes them out of their comfort zone.
The long-term impact? Those students become more capable learners in higher education. They can make better presentations when they enter the world of business or become educators themselves.
Economic Development of Countries
Teachers may work with hundreds or thousands of students over the course of their careers. History shows us that educated workforces help to raise economic standards for communities as a whole. It helps to raise people out of poverty and equips them with the skills to make medical and technological breakthroughs.
A good teacher may not recognize the impact of their achievement. But they may not only impact their students’ lives but may also help entire communities make economic strides forward.
Get Your Child’s Education Off to the Best Start
The importance of teachers cannot be overestimated. A good teacher can have a lifelong impact, acting as a role model in terms of humanity and professionalism for years to come.
Get your child’s education off to the best start at The Learning Experience – Academy of Early Education. Our curriculum helps young learners to develop intellectually, socially, and cognitively.
Click here to learn more about our center at Ashburn, VA, or call us at 571-291-2686.
The Learning Experience – Ashburn
20005 Riverside Commons Plaza
Ashburn, VA 20147
(571) 291-2686
https://thelearningexperience.com/center/ashburn/
