Qualities of a Good Teacher

Mohammed · **مرسل:** الأحد يناير 24, 2010 3:10 am

Have a look at the outline and add your preferences or other priorities

Prepared by: Mohammed Al Masri
Outline:
I. Introduction: What is involved in being a good teacher
II. Body:
1. "born teachers"
2. Classification:
2.1. Professional skills and attributes a good teacher must have:
2.1.1. knowledge
2.1.2. desire
2.1.3. resourcefulness
2.1.4. interest
2.1.5. enthusiasm
2.1.6. communication
2.1.7. helpfulness
2.1.8. "The Teacher"
2.1.9. organization
2.1.10. evaluation
2.2. Personal qualities and attributes a good teacher must have:
2.2.1. positivity
2.2.2. balance
2.2.3. support
2.2.4. emotion
2.2.5. patience
2.2.6. appearance
III. Conclusion: Can I be that "good" teacher?

Qualities of a "good" teacher can neither be covered nor arranged due to their importance. The countless views of what is involved in being good at teaching do not tell us which quality is the most needed. Even when they do, it will be up to the reader to agree on the researcher's classification of the importance of these qualities or not. Which ones are necessary for us to become good teachers? And can we really learn how to be good teachers or is teaching a "heaven" gift that cannot be acquired through experience? Choosing what you like the most in a teacher is a matter of taste, and no student can arrange the qualities of his ideal teacher the same way his classmate does. However, having as many good qualities as possible, in order to be "great" should be the goal of all teachers. "The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it"(Michelangelo).

Some one might say that all of the following attributes should be available in good teachers. I believe that only your ability to make learning easy to understand and fun at the same time can makes you that "good" teacher. When students enter your class with no bad expectations, listen to you until the end of the class willingly, and go out to the playground with some beneficial information added to their minds, it means, in my point of view, that you are a great teacher. Nevertheless, it is not possible to achieve this goal without having some attributes, like planning your lessons, respecting your students, and creating an atmosphere of competition with no anxiety in you class.

Some people can teach easily, and their students respond and learn in their classes more than they do in other qualified teachers' classes. Those people are said to be "born teachers"(Sesnan, 1997: 157). However, a man with no "divine gift" of teaching, who has great desire to be a good teacher might become better than all "born teachers". In order to be a good teacher, you must have many professional skills. Knowing you subject , for example, is a must, and general knowledge of the world outdoors is a necessity that cannot be underestimated. A good teacher should be ahead of his students. This does not mean, at all, that he cannot accept any new information that might come from one of his learners, anyway.

However, we can divide the countless qualities we expect in a "good" teacher into two main categories: professional skills related to his subjects and to his job as teacher, and personal qualities as a man. These two types of qualities are not separated; together, they combine a unit called "a good teacher". A teacher with many personal qualities and no professional qualifications is not a teacher. Old handed teachers are not "good" teachers unless they have some specific characteristics that we always look for. Actually, no one can be comfortable when talking with a teacher who is bad-tempered all the time, for example.

"Even while they teach, they learn." (Seneca, 4BC-65AD?). A good teacher is a good learner himself. A good teacher can easily adopt himself according to class circumstances by creating new styles of presenting his ideas i.e. using new effective methods of teaching, since" one size does not fit all". This means that a good teacher should be able to acknowledge "The only real constant in life is change". He must know there is a place for tradition but there is also a place for new ways, new ideas, new systems, and new approaches. If you want to be a good teacher, you must not put obstacles in your way by being fixed to traditional ways of thinking and be always open and willing to listen to new ideas and adapt new techniques or strategies; to accept criticism is part of this ability to change.

Although the teacher can be a resource (Voller, 1997: 50), teacher must not be the only window, through which students experience the world. i.e. He should be a good resource but not the only source of his students' knowledge. If you want to be a good teacher, remember the Chinese proverb that says:" Give a man a fish and feed him for one day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him forever". A good teacher should be a good resource but not the only source of his students' knowledge. This means that the teacher must help his students acquire the skills they need independently.

No one can become a good teacher unless he is both interested in the subject he teaches and in the teaching process as a whole. "Passion, hope, doubt, fear, exhilaration, weariness, colleagueship, loneliness, glorious defeats, hollow victories…how on earth can a single word or phrase begin to capture the multilayered complexity of what it feels like to teach?" (Brookfield, 2006: 1). when we, teachers, posses such enthusiasm in teaching, success will be inevitable. Only interested and enthusiastic teachers can keep on preparing new materials, make lesson plans, and be up-dated to the latest methods a techniques of teaching.

He, who wants to be a good teacher, should teach his students how to organize themselves and their time. Teaching organization, time management, and study skills should be as much a part of instruction as reading or writing. Students will benefit from focused instruction that supports their learning efforts across the curriculum. Anyway, they need the guidance of an organized teacher and plenty of practice to develop good and consistent habits.

Having knowledge and being enthusiastically interested in teaching are not enough to make a good teacher. A good teacher must also have communication skills and ability to bridge the "knowledge gap" between his knowledge and that of his students. Otherwise, he will not be able to convey the ideas to them properly (Sesnan, 1997: 161). He should be aware of another sort of "knowledge gap", that might be among students of the same class. He might simplify and give more and more examples until he becomes sure that the" message is delivered", and that the information is clear to of his students. Some students prefer listening to audio records than reading the same text from the book. Others need repetition, silent reading, writing activities etc. A good teacher always tries to discover his students' needs and desires.

Good teachers are always available when needed. When a student needs some help or wants to ask about something, his teacher should be there for him. Devoted teachers do not have anything called "free time"; they spend it on providing their students with feedback on their assignments and on their class preparations. They want the best from their students and themselves.

Prophet Muhammad (May God's peace and blessings be upon him), The Teacher, used many efficient teaching skills, like the "use of additional benefit'. He used to mention information that was not asked about in a question. When some one asked him whether ablution, using seawater, was accepted or not, The Prophet (May God's peace and blessings be upon him) assured and added that animals of the sea were consequently eatable. He sometimes used action with statements; he took hold of his tongue and said: "restrain this". Linking what is seen to what you heard, finding similarities between something previously known and something meant to learnt, comparing the tangible to the intangible, and indirect prohibition were also great techniques that "The Teacher" used. Any teacher can also use such strategies with his students to help them understand and remember at the same time.

Students spend more time in their learning environment listening than doing any other single activity. Help them “tune in” with these ideas. Barbra Aalman insisted that a good teacher should help his students organize themselves by learning how to develop their listening and preparation skills because Listening is a "prerequisite for acquiring basic study skills, such as understanding
assignments, managing time, and taking notes, and without it students will not be able to organize their study". (Aalman, 2000: 10)

A successful teacher is that one who always wants to know how effective his teaching has been. "If we want to compare weights we use scales, and if we are to compare heights, we use a metric stick" (Sesnan, 1997: 186). The teacher's "stick" is evaluation. Sesnan argues that if a good teacher of a language wants to know whether he is good enough or not, he has to measure his pupils' change after each class. This change can be: the amount of this language they use, the quality of this language they use, and the ability to use it after each class. If their ability is always the same, it means that his teaching does not make a good process. This kind of "diagnostic assessment" is necessary part of the whole process of teaching. It is a test for the students and for their teacher, as well.

A good teacher must have the qualities of a good human. These personal qualities are not fixed, because what pleases one student might not satisfy another. There are many mutual attributes among all my "good" teachers. A teacher, or man in general, with positive attitude can always keep a smile on his face, even when things get tough. He does not complain about the course books, the system of the school, or even about his students. He makes a change, instead; he challenges all of these difficulties and tries to find solutions and adjustments.

Sense of humor removes the barriers between the teacher and his students. It refreshes the atmosphere of the class, as well, especially when students seem to be a bit bored during some theoretical classes that might not have any activities. Good teachers deal with students the same way they do with their own children; they know when to "stand firm" and when to apologize, for instance. Teachers, like fathers should listen to their children, or students, when they want to talk and help them with their problems, especially when they are teenagers. They have to treat all students as peers.

"Considerable research has provided knowledge on both the antecedents and consequences of student motivation" (Maehr, 1991: 401). Maehr believes that what we know less about is how to apply this knowledge in a meaningful way in classrooms and in schools. Teachers should not only praise good students, but they have to motivate them all by challenging their mental abilities or simply by encouraging low-achievers to become better and be more competitive in class." A good teacher does not believe that some children are stupid "(Sesnan, 1997). Sesnan discusses that there is nothing called "naturally slow" class. It is the teacher's duty to help them follow. Encouragement will give students confidence in belief in their abilities to process and develop. Pushing a shy student to speak up in class, for example, and then praising his good participation or commenting on his speech positively will surely build up his self-esteem.Teachers can change a young learners' lives by helping them to realise their potential, helping them to grow, and supporting them to find their talents, skills and abilities.

"When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece" (Ruskin).The great teacher is a 'child' in his soul who has 'motherly' love with his students. He is also a good 'father' who cares about his 'children' and always wants them to be better. Moreover, a good teacher plays the role of a real friend, close to all of his students, with whom they can talk freely with no fear or anxiety. However, he should not be too friendly, in order not to lose both control and students' respect.

Patient teachers might be the only ones who can deal with naughty students and how to help those who do not even have any desire to overcome their learning problems. Teachers should be real friends; when a teacher gets close to his students, especially students of the "last rows", he or she will then know the needs of those students and the reasons behind their bad behavior and their unwillingness to learn. After knowing the causes of their problems comes the role of the good teacher; he can deal with this student patiently, with no punishment. Attention is what "low- achievers" and "naughty" students really need. When they get it, they will certainly become better.

Above all, to be a good teacher, you would better be active and look smart all the time; a good teacher's appearance should be acceptable according to the social standards, at least. Trevor Wright mentions that some teachers might enter their class at the first time and sit on the edge of the desk, wearing earrings with a "sense of humor" pretending that they just want to be closer to their students. " This character is as dangerous as he is charismatic." (Wright.2005: 64)

"Research fairly consistently demonstrates that teachers are an important measurable factor in student learning, yet few teacher characteristics are shown to be consistently related to student achievement".(Acevedo, 2007:49)
Many other researchers, as well, argue that a good teacher should be gentle, patient, easy going, and calm; and that he cannot be strict or serious, I think that being able to control your classroom and having strong personality are still two basic qualities that any teacher in Syrian public schools must have. The huge number of students in these schools, the lack of respect that some students show, and the absence of real parental control upon their own children make teaching process more and more difficult. Most of the time, teenagers become out of control in classes taught by a teacher, especially a lady. Chaos is a certain result in the class of a teacher with a sense of humor and a smiley face. I am not saying that the teacher should enter his class holding a stick to threaten naughty students and shout at them all the time, but just not to be weak in dealing with them in order not to let their classmates be off the track. Otherwise, the lesson, whether it is communicative, teacher-centered, or even learner-centered, will not carry on as planned. I think that the principles of ideal education and the qualities of an 'ideal' teacher are inapplicable in the here-and-now situation or context because of many reasons, some of which are: 1) Underestimating the role of the school and depending on private lessons instead. Consequently, some students try to show off by kidding all the time and even by trying to test their own teacher's knowledge. 2) The obligation of learning without accompanying it with tangible motivations for remarkable students and real solutions for those who cannot even read, although they are seven or eight-graders, as I noticed during my short teaching experience . For the time being, some of these characteristics mentioned above, unfortunately, are not more than idealistic views about how teachers should act in perfect circumstances; intrinsically motivated learners, supportive educational law, schools with acceptable standards and smaller number of students in its classes. We must have positive attitude in order to be good teachers, anyway.

References:
Acevedo, Sharon K." Do teacher characteristics matter? New results on the effects
of teacher preparation on student achievement." Economics of Education Review.
Oct.2007:49-57. Elsevier. University of Kentucky, New York. 15 Jan,2010
<www.elsevier.com/locate/econedurev>.
Allman, Barbra et al. Skills for Successful Teaching. New York: McGraw-Hill Children's
Publishing, 2000.
Brookfeild, Stephen D.The Skillful Teacher. San Francisco: Josse-Bass, 2006.
Dellon, Justin and Macguire, Meg (eds). Becoming a Teacher: Issues on Secondary
Teaching. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Open University Press, 2007.
Maehr, Martin L. and Midgley, Carol. Enhancing Student Motivation: "A Schoolwide
Approach." Educational Psychologist. 2 (1991): 399-427.
Martin-Kniep, Giselle O. Becoming a Better Teacher: Eight Innovations That Work.
Virginia: Assosiation for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), 2000.
Sesnan, Berry. How to Learn English. London: Oxford University Press,1997.
UD, Cathy. "The Top Ten Qualities of a Good Teacher." Mar.2008
http://www.ripplesofimprovement.com/ind ... d-teacher/
Voller,P. "Learner Autonomy: Literature Review" Diss.PHD Thesis. Essex University,
1997.
Wright, Trevor. How to Be a Brilliant English Teacher. New York: Taylor and Francis
Routledge, 2005.

You can add new qualities;
Lots of them are not mentioned above

حلواني · **مرسل:** الأحد يناير 24, 2010 2:14 pm

thank you

Mohammed · **مرسل:** الاثنين يناير 25, 2010 11:40 pm

You are welcome >>
wish you added one of the qualities that your best teacher had

Raghad · **مرسل:** الأحد فبراير 14, 2010 5:20 pm

Mohammed,

Thanx for this wonderful assignment .. I really was interested while reading it

اقتباس:

If you want to be a good teacher, you must not put obstacles in your way by being fixed to traditional ways of thinking and be always open and willing to listen to new ideas and adapt new techniques or strategies; to accept criticism is part of this ability to change.

You're right .. I think that it is a very important point for the good teacher because the Ss are in need for some new strategies in learning and the good teacher is the one who finds and creates many ways of teaching in oreder to let his Ss excited and enthusiastic

I have also some qualities of the good teacher I wanna mention them here :
- The Qualities of Successful Teachers :
1. Sense of Humor
2. Preparedness
3. Self-confidence
4. Ability to build rapport with the students
5. Fairness
6. Attentiveness
7. Time – management skill
8. Willingness to admit mistakes
9. Forgiving
10. Creativity
11. Flexibility
12. Being Adaptable
13. Respect
14. High Expectation
15. Compassion
I'll explain some of them since you mentioned many qualities of them :
2- Preparedness :
It is easy for students to tell if a teacher is prepared for class. Even young children know when a teacher is organized and ready for the day’s lessons. According to some researches, nothing frustrates a student more than to come to class and be assaulted by a teacher who has no idea what he or she is doing. Competence and knowledge of the content area being taught is something that the students have always mentioned about their favorite teachers and is strongly supported by the current literature. Students pointed out that in classrooms where teachers were well prepared, behavior problems were less prevalent. The well-prepared teacher is more likely to be able to take time during lessons to notice and attend to behavioral matters, and is less likely to miss the beginnings of potentially disruptive activity. If, on the other hand, teachers have not invested sufficient time in planning and preparation, they tend to be so focused on what they are doing that they miss the early signs of misbehavior. This ultimately results in frequent disruption, waste of valuable instructional time, and student frustration.

3- Self-confidence:
The good teacher has to be knowledgeable; he should know more than the book itself. The excellent teacher must possess a deep knowledge by having a passion. He should learn new things not only the course he teaches. Teachers would be life long learners. A good teacher should have the necessary command over the subject matter he teaches. This way, he can be comfortable while explaining things. Besides, he will be equipped with answers of any possible questions that might crop up during the lecture sessions. The teacher has to make his students trust him. When a student asks the teacher any question, he should answer him but not each time because if the teacher always gives the answer easily then the student may forget the answer soon { easy come easy go }. He has to let them work by themselves in order to be more independent. However, if the teacher doesn’t know the specific answer of the student’s question, he shouldn’t anticipate the answer as he thinks and he shouldn’t also show him that he doesn’t know; he may ask the student to check it at home and they can discuss the day after.

4- Ability to build rapport with the students:
The teachers should convey a personal touch with their students such as call students by name, keep the eye-contact between the teacher and the students, be friendly with them, smile often, ask about their feeling and opinions, take personal interest in students and find out as much as possible about them and visit the students’ world (sit with them in the cafeteria; attend sporting events, plays, and other events outside normal school hours). Teachers who bring their lives and stories into the classroom build trust with their students. Teachers who tell stories of events in their own lives which relate to subject matter currently being taught, captivate student interest and promote bonding with the students. Additionally, teachers who have gotten close to their students have done so by finding out as much about their students as possible. Teachers who show interest in their students have interested students.

5- Fairness:
The most effective teachers handle students and grading fairly. They allow all students equal opportunities and privileges, provide clear requirements for the class, recognize that “fair” doesn’t necessarily mean treating everyone the same but means giving every student an opportunity to succeed, understand that not all students learn in the same way and at the same rate. Nobody will abide rules that unfair, but the egalitarian teacher is not necessarily unbiased and just all of the time, but the teacher strives to be as fair as humanly possible in situations that are often impossible. As humans, we possess an ingrained sense of
fair play. Whenever we are dealt with by someone in a manner that violates what we think constitutes fairness in the situation, we react negatively. Any semblance of favoritism, or lack of fairness, can leave scars that last a lifetime.

6- Attentiveness:The teacher should be attentive to everything happens in the class; he should know what is going on especially if the class is the traditional one like most of our schools in Syria he should realize what is happening in the back. The teacher should never ignore any students and give the chance to each one to participate. The most important question to be raised here is “Which is better to give equal attention to the low and high level students or not equal attention?”
- Actually you have to make equal attention but in reality you have not. (mixibility classes) You have to mix between the distinguished and the bad students. You may depend on the good students to let the weak ones get the benefit, i.e. you may let the good ones repeat the idea more than once so in this case you make the weak ones understand it clearly without letting them know the purpose of this thing. If you pay more attention to the good students, the weak ones might feel neglected and the opposite is also true. So, the most suitable way is to make your attention somehow equal but try to give the weak ones more by motivating them to work in pairs or groups.

7- Time – management skill
A good teacher must have good time management skills and always value the importance of time. In fact, wise utilization of time is the hallmark of a good teacher. Do what you have to do, but do it properly.

8- Willingness to admit mistakes

Something that we all appreciate in others is their willingness to admit mistakes, and it is also long remembered by students. Like everybody else, teachers make mistakes. Everybody in the world has ever done mistakes. Students and teachers are human so mistakes can occur. Teacher should change opinion that teachers are always correct. The proud teachers can recognize their mistakes and apologize for student for misbehavior. Unfortunately, some teachers think that their authority in the classroom can be undermined by these mistakes and they try to let them go unnoticed or cover over them quickly. Students quite obviously have a different opinion. They are fully aware of the times when teachers make mistakes, especially when they somehow suffer from them. Teachers who recognize their mistakes and apologize for them when they affect the students provide an excellent model to give students, and a great way to be remembered as a favorite teacher.

10- Creativity
With the onslaught of standardized testing and curriculum this might be getting harder, but it is still very important. Regardless of discipline, creativity is paramount. Sure, you can be a good teacher by taking prepackaged material and efficiently transmitting it, but you can’t be a great one. To be a great teacher, you have to be ready to develop custom, creative lesson plans and projects. You have to have an arsenal of techniques. You need to be a problem-solver. Many of our students remembered unusual things that their teachers did in their teaching and the creative ways that they decorated the classroom or motivated the students. For example, one teacher was remembered for an old bathtub painted green and fill with pillows and books, designated the “Reading Tub”. Another teacher was remembered for an igloo that she had in the back of her room. Constructed out of plastic bottles glued together in the shape of an igloo, it provided an enclosure into which children who earned the privilege could go and work quietly on puzzles and word-finds. Other teachers had large trunks in their elementary room full of dress-up clothes, offering a fun activity for rainy days. Some teachers were remembered specifically for their unique ways of motivating their class. One teacher had challenged the class to reach a particular academic goal. If they did, she promised to kiss a pig. They reached the goal and she kissed the pig!

11- Flexibility
Students have complex lives. If everything is set in stone, you’ll eventually crack. When an A student fails a test, you have to be ready to be flexible. Likewise, you should make yourself available to students for help as much as possible and publicize that fact. If students don’t know you’re available or have office hours, they won’t come and will just struggle through key concepts. Realize that learning is not static and you can’t be either.

13- Respect
Teachers universally wish for their students to respect them. Favorite teachers were remembered for keeping grades on papers confidential, for speaking to students privately after misbehavior or when the teacher needed some clarification, in contrast to public rebuke. Favorite teachers were remembered for showing sensitivity for feelings and for consistently avoiding situations that would unnecessarily embarrass students. Such behavior is obviously appreciated by students, and according to some students , repaid with respect and love for the teacher.

- To seek more quality in the academic life it is useful to know the most important characteristics of a professor's performance that makes the students see him or her as a successful teacher and compel the students to recommend that teacher to other students. To know the most important characteristics of the teacher which allows the student to judge him as good or bad, and that are related to whether or not the student recommends this professor can be useful in the search for academic excellence. When demonstrated by classroom teachers, our students remembered school in a positive way. These traits have proven to increase student achievement. Whether one is new to the teaching profession or a seasoned professional, working to include these traits into everyday teaching routines or fine-tuning those already in use, will ensure that students have a positive school experience as well as a successful one.

محمد معروف · **مرسل:** الأحد فبراير 14, 2010 7:25 pm

thank u Mohammed -it was a nice essay -i hope that i will be a good teacher

Mohammed · **مرسل:** الاثنين فبراير 15, 2010 5:12 pm

Raghad,
Thanks a lot for sharing your great ideas with us and for enriching this topic with new important priorities that we all,teachers, hope to obtain

محمد معروف,
thanksss. i wish you added something to the list;
simply what do you expect from your best teacher

الملاك · **مرسل:** الخميس فبراير 18, 2010 3:48 am

Mohammed, Raghad,
what an expert teacher you are!!! or could be

I wanted to add some while reading but when I finished it ,I found nothing missed to add

thats perfect

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