There are many different career paths that people take to become teachers. For many, they knew since they were a child that they wanted to pursue a teaching career, whereas others may have established themselves in another career and then made the switch to teaching.
What they all have in common, however, is that teaching is more than a career—it is a calling.
Being a teacher requires a unique set of skills that set it apart from many other professions. The hours are different, the typical day is different, and the qualities of a good teacher are different from those of other careers.
But what are those qualities, exactly?
If you’re wondering how to be a good teacher, this is a critical place to start.
One of the most distinct ways your workplace as a teacher is unique is that you will spend most of your time with children. Whether you are teaching kindergartners or high school students, it is very different from working with adults.
Remember, children do not communicate the same way that adults do, so it is really important to be a good listener if you want to be a good teacher.
Sometimes this means listening as much to what they are not saying as much as to what they are saying.
More than that, it is important to be a good listener for their parents and guardians, your fellow teachers and school administrators.
Additionally, one of the most important characteristics of a good teacher is being a good communicator.
This includes your actual classroom instruction and being able to communicate clearly and effectively so the students can learn.
However, good communication also goes beyond instruction. It includes expectations for behavior in class, helping students plan for projects and assignments and keeping open lines of dialogue with their parents and guardians.
Teaching requires confidence.
Much of teaching involves speaking to your class in the front of the room. It is like being “on stage,” so you must be comfortable with having all eyes on you and holding your students’ attention for most of the day.
If you are not comfortable with that or confident in the material you are teaching, your students will be able to tell, and it will be very difficult to control your classroom.
Check out this article for tips on how teachers build confidence.
Problem-solving is a valuable skill that the best teachers use on a regular basis.
Solving problems as a teacher might involve resolving conflict between students, removing distractions, helping students through complex material and keeping students focused during hectic days.
The key to all of this is flexibility. This helps teachers identify the root of problems and creatively come up with solutions.
Passion is universal and simple: the more you love what you do, the better you will do at it.
Think about the best teachers you have had in your life. How did they inspire you? What did they all have in common?
Chances are, they were all passionate about being a teacher and the subject they were teaching.
If you do not love what you do, your students will feel your apathy and will not be as engaged or excited as they could be. Being a teacher is not an easy job, but if you have passion for what you are doing, you can be the kind of teacher who gets the best out of their students.
Are you a “people person?”
Most of the best teachers are.
This does not mean that you have to be an extroverted, high-energy type of person. But because teaching is such an interpersonal job, you must be able to understand people and exhibit empathy.
What does empathy look like for teachers?
To be a good teacher, you must be patient. According to the Association for Middle Level Education, “Teacher patience is the heart of students’ long-term retention of content and skills.”
The best teachers recognize that students all learn in different ways at different paces, so patience and understanding are critical to helping your students develop their skills and knowledge throughout the school year.
Students will test your patience in many different ways, but when you see them grasp hard lessons, form bonds with their classmates, and connect with you over the course of the year, it is all worth it.
These skills are all critical to becoming a good teacher, but it is important to know that you do not need to already have these skills in order to pursue a teaching career.
When you earn your teaching degree, the programs will teach you what you need to know and help you develop the skills needed to become a great teacher.
Here at Southern Adventist University, we offer two teaching degrees:
We encourage you to explore the programs above to see which might be the right fit for you. You can also continue reading with this helpful post, How to Become a Teacher: A Step-by-Step Guide.