The job of teachers is educating students and 
helping mold them into individuals that will be able to successfully function in society. Being an effective teacher involves more than having a degree and knowledge of the subject you are teaching. There are many people who have jobs as teachers, but the most successful possess the following traits.
Attitude
The attitude that you have as a teacher is vital to the development of the students. Teachers set the tone of the classroom. The ones who are excited about the subject matter are contagious, and ultimately, students will return the energy.
Walk into the classroom every day and demand greatness from students. Don’t allow them to settle for less than their best. Teachers are in a critical position where they can push students far beyond their potential, and having the right attitude is the most important step. Even making use of a very small tool like a smile can have a huge impact on individual students and the entire classroom.
Compassion
Because a portion of teacher’s responsibility involves more than writing on white boards and grading tests, it is important for them to bring a certain level of compassion to the classroom. For students with behavior problems and learning disorders, only someone with a love for the art of teaching can manage to keep the classroom in order to facilitate the best learning experience for a diverse group of students.
Patience
Spending an entire class period teaching a new lesson with blank and confused faces staring back at you can be frustrating at times. Teachers can break down a topic in the most basic way possible and still some students may not be able to pick up on it the first few times. Sometimes patience means more than just waiting. Being able to take a step back and figure out effective ways of conveying what you are attempting to teach to the students is important. Try using topics that are relevant to the students. A great way to capture their minds is by using online education avenues like trivia and games.
Here are tips to assist teachers in reaching students:
- Use positive reinforcement: Students and people in general like to be complimented and congratulated after a job well done. Focusing solely on mistakes can bring down the morale of the class and does not help facilitate a positive learning environment.
- Keep goals in mind: While it would be fantastic for every student to earn an A and retain all of the information discussed during lessons it isn’t realistic. Stay confident in your ability to educate even if a few students fail the course. As a teacher you can go beyond the call of duty to assist students, but it is up to them to put the time into studying and completing assignments.
Not every student will put forth the effort necessary to succeed, but you can’t take it as knock on your effectiveness as a teacher. Continue to put your best effort, apply these characteristics, and the majority of the class will reciprocate.
Jesse Langley lives near Chicago. He divides his time among work, writing and family life. He writes on behalf of American Intercontinental University and has a keen interest in blogging and social media.
Photo from Carlos Gustavo Curado
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