Teaching
profession is unique in its kind. Since teaching is an art and skill it calls
for a training and practice. The question of what makes a good teacher has
resulted in an endless steam of ideas, opinions and theories. Different definitions of teaching different
ideas and traits that make up character different environment and different
students can all affect teaching proficiency.
All
students have had hundreds of teachers in their life time. Among them a few
teachers are remembered as being exceptionally good. There need to be many
qualities and traits to be at good teaching.
Being able to master a good mix in a specific learning environment is
likely to make one a good teacher. There are some teachers who
inspire students to work three times harder than they normally would, while
others inspire students to skip classes. Students learn more from some teachers
than others, they admire them, see them as a role model feel free to speak to
them whenever possible and follow them without insisting.
Now
the basic question what makes a good teacher? Based on my few years of teaching
experience and my involvement in teacher empowerment programme I would say
there are list of qualities required to
be a good teacher. Among them few I would say core qualities which are must for
a teacher to excel as a good teacher. In most of my training programmes for the
teachers I used to give a small activity for the participants’ to list out the
qualities required to be a good teacher. They use to come up with many qualities
and I took all of them and listed them in main five categories which I would
like to name as core qualities in which all other qualities and traits are interlined to be a good teacher.
All
good teaching starts with specific clear and measurable goals and objectives.
Goals are those general statements of outcome and objectives are how the goals
are to be reached. It is also true that good teaching is not subject specific;
most important traits or qualities transcend subjects.
The
five clusters of qualities of a good teacher are:
·
Knowledge
of the subject:
Well
it is the one of the important prerequisites of a good teacher. Teacher should
have a clear understanding and depth knowledge in the subject what he teaches.
In
this Information Technology era student’s area aware of things around them but a
good teacher always puts them in a proper container and explains the practical
usage of that information in an accessible way. Imparting information is no more the objective
of education. Even though the information is in the reachable for the students
from different sources like books internet and other sources class room
teaching has never lost its relevance. Classroom
teaching is not just delivering the information to the student this is where
the good teacher wins the heart of the student. The teacher who goes to the
class with confidence in his subject delivers quality information with the
recent updates. Getting to the heart of the students and connecting it to them
and their everyday life helps make the subject matter relevant. Hence the
teacher is a continuous learner to update his knowledge and skill in delivery. Why to teach that subject it is not because it
is in the curriculum or it in the text book or they should write in the
examination to get marks A good teacher
understands the rationality behind the teaching and learning the subject he
teaches that makes a good teacher.
·
Communication:
Communication is more than speaking or writing.
To be effective, communication requires the creation of a common understanding
of ideas, desires and observations among people. In this context communication
is a two-way exchange that involves both a teacher and the student and it is a
skill to be an effective communicator.
How to achieve this just speaking and delivering information and
statistical data is not communication in the class. Since it’s a skill it needs
practice and effort from the teacher to be a good communicator.
The general rule of good presentation, voice, and volume
gestures, humor, timing of the course, sufficient knowledge of the subject are
all essential are communication essentials. I quote what I read ‘a good teacher
is often a good entertainer’ good entertainer appears self confident on stage,
work with their audience and have what is called stage presence. This is an
ability to connect with the audience in a way that is not quantifiable. The self
confidence, empathy and ability to connect with the people one wishes to reach.
This is not something that can be easily taught. It comes with experience, and
open personality. The difficulty involved in learning how to teach this
communication. Since it is a skill and teaching is an art it can be certain
degree teachable. The ability to tell a good story (Adams 1987) research
mentions story telling as a mark of good teaching. Sharing personal experience
from life research previous employment is excellent source of materials.
Another basic requirement in communication is that understanding the audience,
in the classroom setting it is the ability to read the class. Knowing when they have had enough, when they
want to stop and discuss something when they want to hear more. Listening is an equal partner with speaking in
defining effective communication. Listening is also an active process in
communication that includes maintaining eye contact; providing positive
non-verbal feedback, like nodding the head appreciating the idea of the
student.
·
Innovative and creative:
Creativity
in teaching is using imaginative approaches to make learning more interesting
and effective’. A major effect for learners at the school was an immediate
experience of the dynamic, appreciative, captivating and caring ethos. The
construction of this type of ethos has many objectives but in terms of teaching
and learning one of the school’s major aims was to make the learning experience
relevant to learners, to make it interesting. For young learners this meant an
ethos that was dynamic and active: There is a continuous throb of movement and
a quiet hum of activity. The school understands young children as active agents
who experiment with their bodies, emotions and intellects. Teachers acknowledge
the enormous capacity of young children to take in an extensive variety of
experiences in any one day. Maths was made exciting, literacy experienced as a
set of keys unlocking a whole range of delights and emotional journeys, science
was developed as a passion for enquiry, discovery and experimentation,
technology provided intensely focused activity involving problem solving,
frustration and satisfaction and the arts were valued as opportunities for
expression. Creative and innovative teacher provides students little extended,
unhurried time to explore and do
their best work. Provide an abundant
supply of interesting and useful materials
and resources. Create a
classroom climate where students
feel mistakes are acceptable and risk taking is encouraged. Good teacher is always able to motivate his
students by using creative and inspirational methods of teaching he is
different in his approach and that makes him to stand out from the crowd hence
the reason why students enjoy ones class and seeks him out for new ideas.
·
Empathy
and accessibility:
Empathy
and accessibility are the most consistently required quality and elements for
good teaching and a teacher. It is important to note that whatever is taught
must somehow relate to the experience to the student or it will be sterile.
Drawing the good and bad experience of the students draws them into discussion
and makes them their part of the lesson. To relate this way one must understand
the student getting to know the student is key to good being a good teacher.
Some students will be having a considerable experience others do not adding to
the complexity faced by the teacher. How to deal with these differences and be
able to empathize with the learner requires creativity, time and experience. It
is the reason why variety in teaching methods is important. Majority of the
students see accessibility as the major aspect of good teaching. ‘Being around’
gives more information and feedback about the students and teaching.
·
Humor:
A good teacher should also have the quality and
characteristic of having a good sense of humor. It is a logical fact, that a
person generally teaches the next generation and as they are younger than the
teacher, they are expected to have more fun in the class too. So, a good
teacher is the one who can cope up with his sense of humor, and with his strong
communication skills and personality, can also maintain the discipline of the
class.
There's another aspect of fun that's equally important. If the
teacher's having fun, there's a good chance the students are also. Students of
all ages appreciate a teacher who's having a good time. Hard work and
dedication are not exclusive of having fun. In fact, one of the valuable things
I learned during my student teaching was that the harder I worked outside of
class getting ready for it, the more fun I had inside the
class. When students say that a teacher is "fun" or teaches a
"fun class," they don't mean it's all fun and games in which no
teaching or learning is going on. They simply mean that the teacher enjoys what
he or she is doing, and that it becomes an important part of the atmosphere of
the classroom. In the teaching profession hard work and fun go together.
Humor is very effectual on children’s learning and is considered
as a desirable personality trait. Individuals with a high sense of humor are
thought to have some distinguishing characteristics such as optimism,
self-esteem, stress management skills, positive self-esteem, autonomy and
social skills.
Prof. Madhusoodana.
Sunnambala
Head of the Department (Psychology)
Horizon Campus Malabe
madhusoodansp@gmail.com
