A successful teacher. What are the ideal qualities of a good teacher - Essay Example

The present-day world is in a permanent progress. It forges ahead to new horizons making all of us develop professionally, spiritually, gain new knowledge, foster skills. Teachers are no exception. More over, our society greatly depends on their personal progress. In the age of information, being surrounded daily by television, cell phones, computers, Internet, when the vast majority of students can obtain any information they want by themselves without effort, the level of teachers’ education and accomplishments comes to the fore and stricter professional requirements are imposed.

Children go to school, almost always, because their parents make them to and today’s children are no exception. Therefore, teachers’ another task is to foster love, love not to a certain school, but to subjects, learning, science, use of creativity and ingenuity. Teachers are given the great power that drives forward the development of children, makes them believe in themselves but unfortunately sometimes crushes. A teacher today, as well as 100 years ago, should be a well-educated, kind, sensitive, intellectual psychologist.

A modern teacher is a professional able to approach any child, selfless, gentle; moderately strict and with a good sense of humor; s/he knows what and how to teach the present generation. That is, a perfect conscious image of a teacher is an image of a universal Renaissance man. Today and in the future, teachers’ main task becomes more than just to teach different subjects, but teach to learn, that is, to show you the most convenient way to obtain information, analyze it and use it reasonably.

We badly need facilitators, not authoritarian rulers of the education process. A teacher must teach only one the subjects that fascinate him and teach them the way that every student becomes interested. Teaching is a calling, mission, devotion, not a job. So, an ideal teacher is the one for whom teaching is the meaning of life. His supreme self-interest is to be needed. S/he is able to espouse to the process totally, expecting nothing in return. This is an absolute altruism … no matter how strange it sounds today.

A successful teacher: 1. Understands students and respects their opinion. Is able to listen and understand, find approach to each student. 2. Awakes interest in his subject, knows and teaches it well. 3. Loves children; kind, benevolent, humane. 4. Sociable, a good friend, open, frank. 5. Creative, resourceful, quick-witted. 6. Uses psychological knowledge and techniques to deal with difficult situations. 7. Controls oneself, knows how to restrain emotions. 8. Tactful. 9. All-rounder, intelligent, able to speak. 10. Has a sense of humorous, kind irony.

Works cited Scherer, Marge. Keeping Good Teachers. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2003.