Attributes of an Effective Teacher - Essay Example

As opposed to the traditional perception that the duty of the teacher is to "stuff" students with knowledge, I agree with the Socratic philosophy that learning should be elicited from the students. The understanding that students are imbued with the innate capability to reason and indeed the capacity to learn by the constant utilization of this rational skill should be the first attribute of an effective teacher. I believe that a teacher should recognize this innate skill of the student because it will change the approach that he uses in teaching.

Ever since I started to become a private tutor, I have always believed in the capacity of the mind of the student under my tutelage. Thus, instead of just spoon-feeding them and "stuffing" them with facts and information, I tried to sharpen their ability to reason by asking questions as we go along the lessons. Instead of directly explaining forward what happens during a physical change, I challenged them by describing what happens when ice turns into water. This approach enables them to participate more in the lesson and made them better scientists.

I have been using this approach ever since and I am confident that I will be remembered as the tutor who did not only passed on knowledge but draw them out of the students. In effect, I significantly enhanced the rational ability of all the students who were under my tutelage. The second trait of an effective teacher is his possession of adequate knowledge coupled with mastery of his field. This follows with the logical argument that a person can never pass on what he does not have. It should be noted that what the student learn is limited with the amount of knowledge that the teacher posses.

In the maximum, he can only be as good as the teacher and this makes it imperative for a teacher to equip himself with all the knowledge in his field possible. The basic requirement for a French as a second language teacher is the fluency and mastery of the French language. Having born and grown in Algeria, French has been my mother tongue and Arabic is my second language. Thus, I am more than fluent in French and more importantly, I am very much confident in English language skills which will also enable me to teach French efficiently to English speaking students.

During my travels as a flight attendant, I have used both French and English in conversing with passengers. A teacher's knowledge is futile without the good communication skill to impart this to his students. I believe that knowing is different from communicating what you know. There are a lot of people who are gifted with knowledge but are unable to communicate them well. Thankfully, I am blessed with both abilities. Having worked as a bilingual client representative, I am tasked to communicate with customers through all their account situations imparting my knowledge as well as the service that they deserve.

This has not been easy as I know that I was not just communicating facts but is representing the company with these dealings. However, my good communication skills helped the company to address customer concerns and retain major customers. Flexibility defines the commitment, dedication, and sincerity which a teacher puts in his profession.