What do you think makes a good teacher?

[sohkmj1]

A few factors... (school related)

Although I wouldn't like to admit it, good teachers should give plenty (but not backbreaking amounts) of homework. I had a math teacher when I was 13 who gave exactly 2 assigments for the whole year, and thus I had no real practice, and couldn't do my non-school work. Needless to say, I had no idea what he was teaching (he's not very approachable, another one), and I failed maths for the year.

Ability to speak English well. I currently have a geography teacher from (perhaps rural) India, and she has an awful accent, and she often resorts to using horrible English to describe what she's teaching, and sometimes she sounds like she doesn't even know what she's teaching... and sometimes I swear she says "wat" to students asking her questions.

Friendliness as well, I wouldn't want a teacher who pretends you don't exist, or treats you like a failure, rather being a friend who encourages the student. Might be a disadvantage if the teacher is too relaxed or whatever.

[obfuscator]

There are three qualities that make a teacher good.

 

1) Extensive knowledge of the subject: A teacher who doesn't know what they're talking about obviously will have difficulty being a good teacher.

2) Passion for the subject: The more a teacher cares about what they're teaching, the more it rubs off on the students and contributes to a positive learning atmosphere.

3) Passion for teaching: A teacher should want to teach, and enjoy doing so. I've had teachers who are knowledgeable and passionate, but think their students are stupid and can't wait to get out of the classroom. On the flip side, I've had teachers that put across positive emotion in the classroom and are willing to go the extra mile to make sure that their students really understand and enjoy what they're being taught.

[Myweponsg00d]

The single most important quality in a teacher is being able to relate to each and every student. Even the ones you don't like (yes...there will be ones that you hate)

 

So if you are a xenophobe or cannot "put yourself into someone else's shoes" then don't even think about being a teacher.'

 

Oh and the second most important quality is bieng able to be incredibly creative in a very restrictive environment. Teachers now have a huge list of "standards" that they must teach their students, and there are also many guidelines that must be followed within your district. So you have to be prepared to follow these rules, but at the same time create a class that is individualized for your learners.

 

EDIT: Lol sorry I just had to add a 3rd point in here. I'm a teaching intern atm so I just had to give you all of my best advice. The 3rd most important thing is organizational skills. You must be prepared for every school day and be ready to use every precious minute of classtime. Many teachers laze around for the first 3 minutes and last 3 minutes of class. But that is 6 minutes of each class. 6 minutes of each class means that you have lost 18 hours of instructional time over the course of the year. Don't be lazy. Be prepared to keep your students busy.

[Dax]

There are three qualities that make a teacher good.

 

1) Extensive knowledge of the subject: A teacher who doesn't know what they're talking about obviously will have difficulty being a good teacher.

2) Passion for the subject: The more a teacher cares about what they're teaching, the more it rubs off on the students and contributes to a positive learning atmosphere.

3) Passion for teaching: A teacher should want to teach, and enjoy doing so. I've had teachers who are knowledgeable and passionate, but think their students are stupid and can't wait to get out of the classroom. On the flip side, I've had teachers that put across positive emotion in the classroom and are willing to go the extra mile to make sure that their students really understand and enjoy what they're being taught.

 

I'm going with this. Pretty much sums it all up for me.

[das1330]

The best teachers are generally highly intelligent, displaying complete mastery of their subject (which is why many professors are so good). Good teachers don't just think their subject is mildly interesting, for them, it is their world - they breathe it and they obviously enjoy teaching it. Furthermore, truly excellent teachers both work hard to prepare good lectures and are excellent public speakers, delivering information in an interesting manner. Perhaps the best teacher I have ever had was an economics professor at Harvard. The man was able to keep me mesmerized for three hours straight of lectures -that is a good teacher.

[KittyKat]

My favorite high school teacher did not care what you did in his class and assigned homework as practice and would not check whether you did it. However, his tests were rigorous and my work ethic improved in his class.