Good Teacher | Teaching Methods, 10 Characteristics and its Attributes

We explain what a good teacher is and what its attributes are. Also, what are its teaching methods and characteristics.

What is a teacher?

The teacher, professor , teacher or teacher are terms with which we designate a common vocation, that of teaching. They refer to one of the fundamental engines of the constitution of modern societies , which is to transmit to future generations the values and knowledge that are considered transcendental, worthy and of great importance.

At present there are various and discussed teaching models that range from focused attention to military discipline: some, more conservative, consider the student a passive entity that must receive knowledge from their tutors, and others, more contemporary, propose that student and teacher are active entities in a mutual process of teaching and learning.

Teachers then have the mission of keeping a culture alive and cohesive , while promoting and nurturing the development of individual talents and ethics. They are, if you will, the main people in charge of the future world.

Characteristics of a good teacher :

1. Is willing to learn

The first trait of a good teacher might seem paradoxical at first glance, but as the Venezuelan educator and politician Luis Beltrán Prieto Figueroa stated: "He cannot be an educator who has lost the ability to learn . "

Teaching is far from being a single and rigid method to which everyone without distinction must adapt, since understanding occurs through varied and divergent methods .

A good teacher must understand this profound truth and be willing to rethink their schemes , vary their methodologies and above all to learn from their own teaching experience.

2. Do not neglect your own training

As knowledge is updated, a good teacher has to consider growth challenges that prevent him from becoming stagnant in his methods and in his approach to what he teaches.

You should do your research as well as spend a lot of time preparing your lessons , for nothing is more discouraging than a teacher with little interest or little knowledge in your subject.

3. Pass on your passion for learning

Irish poet William Butler Yeats said that education was not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire . By this he meant that a teacher must be a propagator, a stimulus, who inspires his students in the learning paths, and not a simple repeater of information. A well-educated student will be the one who leaves the classroom with the desire and the tools to understand more about the subject they are studying.

4. Has the gift of speech

More than anything in the world, a teacher's tool is what it says . Therefore, you must have verbal facilities that allow you to express yourself not only correctly, but in different ways in case you need to vary your approach to the subject in question. You won't always have the same type of listeners, after all.

5. Has good reserves of patience

Comprehension is key when building a communication bridge between a teacher and his students . Not all will learn in the same way, nor will they have the same abilities, nor the same talents, nor the same family conditions. A good teacher has to be generous with his attention and with the time that his students require to understand him.

6. He is enthusiastic and dedicated

Teaching is a profession that bears its fruits late. That shouldn't discourage you. On the contrary, the teacher must have an innate confidence in the significance of their work , since only with time does education become evident; but when it does, above many things, it is noticed.

7. Possesses integrity and authority

This does not mean that you should be a punishing parent or some kind of dictator in the classroom. On the contrary, he must know how to earn the respect of his students by becoming a positive bond and a role model.

Especially with difficult audiences such as adolescents or people in risk situations, this may eventually imply imposing oneself, granting oneself a place of authority in the classroom. There are smart ways to do it.

8. Is humble

Boasting about degrees obtained or standing up for the position you occupy is a poor method of acquiring respect and a bad way of posing a teaching bond.

The students are not there to satisfy the ego of the teacher ; in any case to learn to deal with his own. A good teacher must be approachable and friendly, it is not necessary to always be on a pedestal.

9. Values and stimulates creativity

A written exam will not always be the best measure of learning . Not always what the book says will be the most useful teaching of a session.

A good teacher does not forget that to acquire information there are books and libraries : the class will incorporate a dynamic of thought , which must well contemplate creativity , originality and the capacity for reflection, over and above memorization of hard data.

10. It is intuitive and observant

Details, as the saying goes, are everything. A good teacher knows when to approach a distant student , when to demand greater results from a lazy one, and how to evaluate a group of people with very different potentials.

It is about appreciating individual learning processes without losing the notion of the whole and of natural competition. An ideal teacher should know much more about his students than his transcript .

The above content published at Collaborative Research Group is for informational and educational purposes only and has been developed by referring reliable sources and recommendations from technology experts. We do not have any contact with official entities nor do we intend to replace the information that they emit.