By Mrs. Kimnget Koy

Good teachers have a huge impact on learners and help them engage in lifelong learning. Good teachers can make a world of difference for a child of any age. Think about your schooling, do you remember a particular teacher who believed in you, inspired you, helped you, and made you confident that you could succeed? These good teachers are vitally important.

 Traits of a Good Teacher:

  1. Patience:  Patience is an important characteristic for effective teachers. Every student will have their own unique struggles. Some will have a difficult time reading and writing or with math problems therefore, patience is a must for a good teacher.
  2. Empathy:  As a teacher, it’s vital to be able to put yourself in a student’s shoes and help them feel understood. We have to make sure the learners feel they’re in a safe environment.
  3. Drive for self-improvement: Great teachers should be able to look at themselves objectively and see where they can improve.
  4. Adaptable: A great teacher can adjust their teaching methods and expectations so they can still find success. When teaching, it’s important to always move your lessons around in a way that promotes learning in the best possible way.
  5. Be fair: Great teachers don’t play favorites to any particular student; they must love all students equally.

 Skills of a Good Teacher

When it comes to teaching, there are also many interpersonal skills that teachers need to be successful in their profession.

  1. Stress management: Teaching is a stressful job; but a passionate teacher will always find a way to manage their stress. Even if they have stress from home, they can still be happy in front of their students.
  2. Communication: Teachers need to be good communicators in order to meet the needs of their students. Communication is key for teachers to be successful in their profession. Learning and teaching are connected through good communication. They can’t effectively assess the needs of students if they can’t communicate openly with them. Teachers also need to be able to communicate with other teachers and parents well.
  3. Teaching rather than instructing: A good teacher should be focused on making sure their students truly understand the lesson; instead of doing a  lecture. Great learning comes from teachers who are focused on comprehension.

Having this skill set is vital in becoming a great teacher. And once you have those credentials and skills, you can focus on developing the other traits that will help you have great relationships with your students and become an engaging, caring teacher.