Characteristics of a Good Teacher

Back in Mauritius there was a lady living in the same area I lived. She had a very good reputation as being the best teacher in the locality. I once approached her regarding my own niece as I wanted the latter to take some private tuition from her. I thought she would be nice to welcome my niece in her class but to my surprise she arrogantly asked me whether the latter was intelligent and good enough, quick to answer questions and do the work she would give. “My own students are very intelligent and you know I don’t take low level ones in my class” she said.

I was shocked and hurt. “What kind of teacher was that” I thought. The poor idiot was too blinded with her own pride and arrogance that she could hardly see that she was wrong.

If a teacher does not have compassion and a burning desire in his/her heart to help a student, to make students believe in themselves and trust their abilities then that’s not the worst teacher but that’s not a teacher at all.

A good teacher is a people builder. He/she builds character, trust, confidence, creates interest, love and have the capacity to turn a bad student into a good citizen.

A good teacher first of all should have passion in his/her heart to teach and his/her motivation and enthusiasm should be eagerness and a burning desire to transmit knowledge in view of helping others to discover what he himself/herself learned.

Bertrand Russell: No man can be a good teacher unless he has feelings of warm affection toward his pupils and a genuine desire to impart to them what he believes to be of value.

A good teacher inspires his/her students to explore their own potential. He/she knows how to create interest in the students and makes them like a particular subject. The class is not boring and students pay attention to every word coming from the teacher’s mouth. They are happy and comfortable.

A good teacher builds trust and confidence in students. When they show poor academic performance, he/she does not get mad and insult or neglect them making the students feel guilty or useless but encourage them to do better next time. The words of teachers leave long lasting impression on young minds.

A good teacher is well trained, equipped and have a thorough knowledge of the subject he/she is teaching. He/she is a continuous learner and understands learners’ educational needs both in the classroom and out. As a teacher in the class he/she is a facilitator in shaping young minds characters and help them realise their dreams.