TEN ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF A SUCCESFUL TEACHER

The following is an excerpt from an article written by John Smith & Alice Shown and published in Issue: 13, Summer 2014 of NEX Generation.  NEX Generation is a socially responsible magazine for individuals who share a common goal of improving family and community life in the Caribbean and the Diaspora.

Teaching is one of the noblest professions. The role of teaching is very important especially in primary education. This list below is by no means complete, but we believe these 10 personal qualities are essential traits in helping teachers, and parents understand what it takes to become a successful teacher.

TRUST- A teacher can establish trust by speaking with confidence and providing accurate information with conviction.

POSITIVE ATTITUDE- You should have a positive attitude so that you can teach your students how to maintain a positive attitude in life.

FLEXIBILTY- You should maintain a flexible attitude in order to relieve stress.   In this way, you can also teach your students how to take control of situations.

DISCIPLINE- As a teacher, you should be disciplined yourself so that your students can learn from you.
HIGH EXPECTATIONS- Your expectations should help the students to learn new things, be confident and achieve success in life.

SENSE OF HUMOUR – A sense of humour will help you to diffuse tension in the classroom and make the class more enjoyable.

UNBIASED ATTITUDE- A good teacher should not discriminate against students on the basis of gender, social status, or those with learning disabilities.

CONFIDENCE- A good teacher never shouts or snaps at a student who has come to you with a query, which may seem obvious or simple to you.

SELF-CRITICAL- Good teachers recognise their own strengths and weaknesses and will take their own professional development seriously.

To become a successful teacher, you should strive for personal excellence