When you think back to your school days, there are probably only a handful of teacher you remember really well. More than likely, they stuck with you because they were great teachers. It never an easy task to separate from the pack, especially as a teacher. Those who manage to be great teachers become more than just a fond memory. They shape young minds in the most positive and pure ways. What is it that sets them apart? To find out, read on and discover a few characteristics every great teacher possesses.
Tech Savvy
In today’s tech forward world, you can’t be a great teacher without being technically capable. Tech can enhance a lesson or be used as a tool to get through to a student. If you have not taken the time to learn the tech you’ll never be able to use it in ways that will best serve your students. Great teachers go above and beyond to figure out how a piece of tech can be used to augment a lesson plan. Not to mention, keeping up with the latest tech also helps you stay relevant and innovative.
Real World Experiences
No amount of studying or mastery will ever replace real world experiences. Students can relate better to a teacher who adds the element of perspective to each lesson. Plus, real world experiences give you the ammunition to shoot down the age old “when will I ever use this” question. Teacher who have worked other jobs and visited other places around the world, come into the classroom with real world applications they can speak to better than any teacher reading out of a book.
Confident
Students can smell uncertainty from a mile away. Once they sense that you’re not comfortable or confident, you’ve lost them. Be exuding confidence instead, you reassure students that you know what you’re talking about. You may not always feel confident or even be confident at any given point. The key is not showing it.
Passionate
None of these other characteristics are worth anything without passion behind them. Great teachers are always a passionate and inspiring bunch. A deep passion can drive a person to work hard and be excited about it, It also can be infectious. Your passion can be a spark for any student who sits in your glass. You’ll inadvertently have reached them to push past their perceived potential and work harder. What’s not great about that?