Teaching is an invaluable profession. If you take a moment and think back, you can probably remember who your favorite teacher is and why. They’re responsible for so much of our lives, from inspiring us to providing that same inspiration to our children. If you’re going to be a teacher or even if you already are one, there many traits and qualities that you need to have. Here are just a few.
Patience
It doesn’t matter if you teach Kindergarten or College, you’re going to have “that student”. In fact, you’ll probably have a lot. That student who is late; That student who always interrupts; That student who falls asleep in your class; While it is absolutely crucial to instill good behavior in the student, you also have to maintain a level of patience throughout it. You may have to take a step back more than once to determine which battles are worth fighting, and which should be set aside.
Kindness
As much as you can remember your favorite teacher, you can also probably remember your least favorite teacher or the one who was the meanest. Being strict is one thing. Being an adult bully is a total other. It’s important that you strike a balance of insisting on respect and good behavior. Being mean will not solve anything, and could actually get you into a world of trouble.
Effective Communication
A large amount of teaching has to do with communicating correctly. If every student in your class fails a test, you might chalk it up to the fact that no one studied. That’s the easy thing to do. However, you might want to reconsider if you are teaching in an effective manner. Are your lessons not intriguing enough? Do you speak too quickly? This isn’t saying that it’s YOUR fault, it’s just worth looking into all of the potential causes
Passion
Not many people go into teaching for the money. It’s a well known fact that teachers don’t make that big of a salary. If you have any sort of exterior motive to be a teacher, then teaching isn’t for you. This goes for any profession. If you are not passionate about what you do and aren’t committed to giving your all, then your lack of passion will absolutely show in your work.
Dedication
Being a teacher involves long hours. It involves staying after school to help students with homework. It involves following through on your word. It involves showing up each day and being someone who is reliable. Students will look up to you. It’s up to you to make yourself someone who is worth looking up to.
Integrity
Your reputation as a teacher will follow you everywhere. With the internet being a place that people can quickly share information, one dishonest slip and your entire career can be gone. Plus, you want to instill the qualities into your students that you exhibit. If you insist that your students be honest and forthcoming, but you are reserved and your integrity is in question, then you won’t be a reliable source.
Patience
It doesn’t matter if you teach Kindergarten or College, you’re going to have “that student”. In fact, you’ll probably have a lot. That student who is late; That student who always interrupts; That student who falls asleep in your class; While it is absolutely crucial to instill good behavior in the student, you also have to maintain a level of patience throughout it. You may have to take a step back more than once to determine which battles are worth fighting, and which should be set aside.
Kindness
As much as you can remember your favorite teacher, you can also probably remember your least favorite teacher or the one who was the meanest. Being strict is one thing. Being an adult bully is a total other. It’s important that you strike a balance of insisting on respect and good behavior. Being mean will not solve anything, and could actually get you into a world of trouble.
Effective Communication
A large amount of teaching has to do with communicating correctly. If every student in your class fails a test, you might chalk it up to the fact that no one studied. That’s the easy thing to do. However, you might want to reconsider if you are teaching in an effective manner. Are your lessons not intriguing enough? Do you speak too quickly? This isn’t saying that it’s YOUR fault, it’s just worth looking into all of the potential causes
Passion
Not many people go into teaching for the money. It’s a well known fact that teachers don’t make that big of a salary. If you have any sort of exterior motive to be a teacher, then teaching isn’t for you. This goes for any profession. If you are not passionate about what you do and aren’t committed to giving your all, then your lack of passion will absolutely show in your work.
Dedication
Being a teacher involves long hours. It involves staying after school to help students with homework. It involves following through on your word. It involves showing up each day and being someone who is reliable. Students will look up to you. It’s up to you to make yourself someone who is worth looking up to.
Integrity
Your reputation as a teacher will follow you everywhere. With the internet being a place that people can quickly share information, one dishonest slip and your entire career can be gone. Plus, you want to instill the qualities into your students that you exhibit. If you insist that your students be honest and forthcoming, but you are reserved and your integrity is in question, then you won’t be a reliable source.