Job Discussion Forums

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

Good Day Forum:

Well, we've already had the "Good Men" and "Good Women" threads, so I thought it might be nice to ask a slightly more serious question which relates directly to what we do.

This particular question is intended more for the 'vets' among us who have been teaching for at least 5 years. Others with less experience are certainly welcome to add their input.

So, the question: What is the single most important character and/or personality trait which you would attribute to making you a good teacher? There may be more than one, of course, but I'd like you to 'pick your brain' for a moment and choose the one trait which has helped you the most to be successful in the classroom.

Those of you unfortunate enough to read my posts on a regular basis will be able to guess what I will say about this, but I'll keep you all in suspense until I see this thread gasping for life at the bottom of the page.

Thank you all in advance for your contributions! We may actually learn something useful from this little endeavor.

Best wishes,
keNt

[MartinK]

...

[M.]

BEER and Rapport with the Students.

[TEECHER]

Hello Kent K, Relaxed, confident sincerity in any aspect of my dealings with teaching has been beneficial in relations with my students.{and less importantly, with school management}. This approach is a life-style choice that I find works well outside the classroom as well for many of lifes situations. And please! Dont take me to task here on some of my replies to several postings!!! Bye for now

[Seth]

A thick bamboo cane and good aim.

For us sorry saps who teach at primary schools, a handful of sweets and maybe some stickers. Those have helped me more than anything. Aside from blunt objects.

[zakiah25]

Probably, I'd choose good acting ability and a sense of humour - this can help you to motivate the students as well as allowing you to cope with a variety of situations.
Remember Patch Adams (although he was in a medical field, you can transpose the same ideal into teaching)?

[Celeste]

Preparation. I know what the kids should be doing at any given time in the lesson, and if they are one of my regular classes, they know too. It is really important to walk into every classroom with a plan and a few backup plans.

Patience is really important too. It is also important when dealing with kids to remember that you are older and therefore have stronger will than they do. (I have watched some really willful elementary school kids push all the right buttons on their teachers, and seen some teachers just lose control. Other, more confident teachers are able to keep the stone face and icily request that the students resume their classwork- generally, the kids respond to this).

Finally, I think it is really important to keep current. Read teaching publications, go to conferences, go to bookstores, sit in on other teachers' classes and steal all of the good stuff. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel and "discover" everything on your own. Borrow from others' experience.

[Roger]

To generate good vibes in your classroom is an important objective, but it can't be the end in itself; these good vibes should last well past the minute when the bell rings. The students should head home, remembering to do homework, and to do homework not so much in order to please their teachedr but as a means to achieve the end - becoming independent of their teacher!

To MartinK:
If a prize was available for the most creative reply, yours would be the winner! You should be a dramatist! You are right - the cutoff date of 5 years is arbitrary. SOme never become good teachers, others have their feet on the earth right from the start!

[Shaman]

Flexibility - not just trapsing through the lesson material in assembly line fashion, but taking each student's personality and learning style into account. What works for Mrs. A won't necessarily work for Mr. B. Obviously, this approach is more easily achieved with private and semi-private classes.

Positivity - A teacher should do his/her best to nip a student's frustration in the bud. Many adults tend to self-flagellate over the smallest of errors. When I start a new class, I tell them to leave the word "sorry" outside the room. The only time for that word is if they aren't putting forth the effort. In that case, they should be saying it to themselves.

Shaman

[itslatedoors]

Being like bnix of course.....(the Gerry Springer of Dave's).

[M.]

A bottle of vodka, rapport and a bottle of vodka.

[earth_dog]

The ability to stand on your head and simultaneously spit nickels

[lagger]

Dedication. You need to put the effort in before and after class.

The ability to get students' attention and intrigue them a little.

My Grandmother was a teacher and used to say "A lesson well begun is half done".

[Ben Round de Bloc]

[johnslat]

Dear Ben Round de Block,
I agree one hundred % - and he/she should be able to make the students enjoy ( or at least tolerate ) learning. The secret of " success " in life?
1. Discover what it is you really enjoy doing; 2. Find someone who'll pay you to do it.
Regards,
John