BS Education: Skills and Factors
As a student, you’ve probably encountered a lot of teachers—some good, some not so good. Have you ever given any thought to what makes teachers either good or bad?
Training is one thing; individual differences are another. There may be certain types of people better suited for the teaching profession. Let’s take a quick look at these.
The Makeup of a Good Teacher
A member of any profession may be expected to possess a decent amount of academic skill—potential teachers are no exception. Things can also get trickier depending on the particular field that the future teacher decides to focus on. For example, SPED teachers also need to be quick to adjust to people with “special” needs.
That’s just the academic know-how. An important aspect of being a good teacher involves certain non-quantifiables—people skills, if you may. These play a big part in a teacher’s success or failure. Good teachers are patient, adaptable and creative; they bring out the best in their students and motivate them to learn more.
Final Words
Finally, potential teachers must themselves be teachable—in other words, they must be believers in lifelong learning. The reality is that new developments are always turning up in various fields, including education. Teachers can’t afford to be left behind, so they need to continuously upgrade their knowledge base and skills, just like most other professionals.
In closing, I leave you with some inspirational words I paraphrased from Francis Kong: “A mediocre teacher teaches. A good teacher explains. A great teacher demonstrates. An excellent teacher inspires.”
