There is quite a difference between a teacher and a good teacher. A good teacher has a huge impact on learners, and they help them in lifelong learning. A good teacher can make a good impression on a child of any age. When we think back about our schooling days, we remember at least one teacher who had a lot of good influence on us, motivated and encouraged us. They made you believe in yourself and encouraged them to succeed. On the other hand, you may also remember a teacher who did not bother much and did not care about the students. They did not try to help students learn or tell them they were not good enough to do a task. These kinds of teachers are not needed in the education sector today. The responsibility of being a teacher is huge, so teachers need to find ways to improve teaching skills continuously.
Here are some tips one can follow to become a good teacher
1) Have clear objectives – teachers are considered to be next to God. Without a teacher, it is not possible to become a responsible citizen. Thus, teaching is considered a “Noble Profession”. So, to be a good teacher, one should have a clear vision so that the torch bearer of our society becomes a responsible individual. Teachers are selfless, and they devote their entire life to moulding children. Every teacher has the objective to make a great human being.
2. Pay attention to students: a good teacher should pay attention to individual students.
a. That would make sure which area needs to be revisited, happening to be the area of difficulty, and teachers can make an informed decision on what area requires emphasis.
b. By paying attention, teachers can learn when the students are off the radar and getting it wrong in order to correct them.
c. A teacher, by paying attention, knows when the student is not paying attention or is distracted and can thus win back their attention.
d. By paying attention, teachers can identify those who have difficulty comprehending things, and this information helps them to decide how to carry everyone along.
3) Lead by example- Once you are a teacher, you remain a teacher forever. They can teach even after school and till late in life. Students always fondly remember them. We have examples of many such renowned teachers, and they are role models of inspiration to fellow teachers. For example, Dr. Sarvepalli Radha Krishna and in memory of whom the Teachers Day is celebrated. He knew the essence of teaching and was a role model, and to celebrate him, his birthday is celebrated as Teachers’ Day. Students learn from what we do, so our behaviour should be such that they see us as an example. This is the best way teachers can teach their students.
4) Be patient- Teachers have to be extra patient to understand students. No matter what comes their way, a teacher has to face it with a smiling face. The teacher must not be upset or, even worse, give up on students who have learning issues, are slow learners, and are not strong in their studies. Instead, teachers should slow down and help them through the lesson and find different ways to motivate them. Sometimes it is a small effort from the teachers that can change the life of a student.
5) Try understanding them- the fingers of a hand are different from one another, just like that all students are not the same, and so are their abilities. So, teachers are to individually try to build a relationship with all students to recognize their shortcomings. This is very necessary to deal with them in an effective way. This is a challenging task, but without knowing, the student’s education will not be full-fledged.
6) Be alert and vigilant- A good teacher needs to understand a child and create an emotional bond between students and teachers. This helps in better insight into various cognitive and emotional aspects of a student. The teachers are the ones who mould the students from wet clay into wonderful human beings. So, a teacher has to be alert whether the child is on the right path or not.
7) Do not discriminate amongst students- School is considered as the second home for the students, and teachers are considered guardians who have all the rights over students. Sometimes you may have seen that teachers favour one student over another. This practice is a very desirable trait of a teacher. That is because students can get demoralised when discriminated against. So, to be a good teacher, you should view every student in the class as equal.
8) Focus on their holistic development- A good teacher is a master of their subject, but an excellent one knows the true essence of teaching and focuses on the holistic development of the students.
If you are keen on being a good teacher, you can undergo teachers skill enhancement courses which surely will give you some valuable insights one the desired qualities of teachers.
