CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER

Each person has a different view on each item. That happens when we want to find the true
meaning of what is effective teacher. There are a range of views from various parties on this point.
Regarding to Chambers English Dictionary 1990 !page 1"0#$ teacher is one whose profession is
or whose talent is the ability to impart %nowledge practical s%ill or understanding. That is the
meaning of the word teacher.
&n contrast to the effective teacher the meaning is more referring to teachers themselves. 'ogt
!19()$ related effective teaching to the ability to provide instruction to different students of different
abilities while incorporating instructional ob*ectives and assessing the effective learning mode of the
students. +wan% Taylor ,rady and -rieberg !19(9$ created a model of effectiveness that was
based upon teacher actions. -or them effective meant increasing academic .uestions and
decreasing lecture and ineffective practices such as negative feedbac% and low/level .uestions.
-or me an effective teacher is a good person who meets the community ideal for a good citi0en and
good parent. 1e or she should be honest hardwor%ing generous friendly and considerate and to
demonstrate these .ualities in their classrooms by being authoritative organi0ed disciplined
insightful and dedicated. 1aving many years e2perience as a teacher will not necessarily ma%e one
an effective teacher. Effective described a particular teacher who had been the most successful in
helping students to learn. 3rends !199($ said that an effective teacher is one who can activate the
energy of students to wor% toward a more *ust social order and humanity. 3n effective teacher is li%e
a person who has a love for learning. E2perience will be a great %nowledge when teachers use it in
improving the wea%nesses that e2ist in themselves during the process of teaching and learning. 4e
can say that an effective teacher is the one who can establish good communication with students
nurture and care for the environment for personal development.
1. 5pen mind
There are many characteristics to be an effective teacher. 1owever there are some ma*or
characteristics that should be concern if the person wants to be an effective teacher. 5ne of them is
an open mind or willing to thin% outside the bo2. 6earning and adapting are two of the biggest parts
of being a successful teacher. Everyday will bring new and une2pected obstacles to overcome and
adapt to so we must be able to handle a significant amount of adversity especially early in our
career. 6ynn Columba program coordinator of the College of Education at 6ehigh 7niversity in
,ethelehem 8a. says the best teachers consider themselves 9lifelong learners: who are 9willing to
e2plore new teaching strategies and methods: as well as 9act on current research in the classroom:.
1e said that effective teachers are not born; they are made after an enormous amount of hard wor%
and dedication. There is no one set coo%ie cutter way to teach. &f there was teachers and students
would both be bored. 4hat ma%es teaching so e2citing is that %ids learn differently and we have to
find and utili0e different strategies and differentiated learning to reach every student. 4hat wor%s for
one student will not wor% for every student. Teachers have to be willing to be creative and adaptive
in their lessons thin%ing outside the bo2 on a continual basis. &f you try to teach every concept in
the same manner there will be students who miss out on %ey factors because they aren<t wired to
learn that way.
=. -le2ibility and 8atience
& thin% one of the core doctrines of teaching should be that everything is in a constant state of
change. &nterruptions and disruptions are the norm and very few days are >typical<. Therefore a
fle2ible and patience attitude is important not only for our stress level but also for our students who
e2pect us to be in charge and ta%e control of any situation. 4or%ing with children is a formidable
tas%. They need to be considered very carefully all the time. Teach them re.uires patience and
persistence. 3 good teacher is a teacher that is able to be patient and deal with them calmly
co.uettish.
?. 1igh e2pectations
3n effective teacher should have high e2pectations and strive to raise the bar for her or his
students. &f we go in e2pecting less effort we will undoubtedly receive less effort. 4e must focus
on an approach that says we %now students can achieve to our level of e2pectations thereby giving
them a sense of confidence. This is not to suggest we should create unrealistic e2pectations.
1owever our e2pectations will be one of the %ey factors in helping students learn and achieve.
). 8ositive attitude
4e will be thrown many curveballs in life and especially in the teaching profession. 3 positive
outloo% will help us deal with these in the best way. 3t the same time some of our students will
li%ely come to class with a negative attitude toward the class so it<s best to try and counteract it with
positivity and a sense of humor. -or me the best teacher is people who are intelligent fiercely
in.uisitive caring and happy. They are people who want their lives to ma%e a difference in the
world.
". 5rgani0ing
+tudents need structure. They have different learning styles but if we provide an organi0ed
environment they will all be able to thrive in our classroom. Ta%e the time to organi0e our
classroom in a way that isn@t distracting. Aeep art supplies and boo%s out of sight and arrange the
room so that our students are facing the chal%board. This will %eep their attention on what you are
teaching. The effective teacher has a plan for instruction too. &t is important to %now the e2act
re.uirements for each grade level and sub*ect. The goals for each student must be at the heart of
the planning process.
+ome teachers plan at home and others wor% after school crafting unit plans that incorporate
various ob*ectives. Regardless where or how teachers plan and organi0e for instruction the
evidence of effective wor% is seen in the classroom. Bot all techni.ues are effective in all settings
nor with all groups. +ince classes are collections of individuals effective teachers are those who
can assess the needs of a given group of students and ad*ust their instructional format if necessary.
-ormats that provide opportunities for interaction on three levels are the most effectiveC between the
instructor and the class as a group between the instructor and students as individuals and among
students. 3 good plan doesn<t guarantee high/.uality instruction but a poor plan most certainly
contributes to ineffective instruction.
D. +ense of humor
&t is nice when a teacher can effectively deliver one/liners that give everyone a chuc%le. &t<s a bit
tric%ier to have the .uic% ability to react with good humor and diffuse difficult situations. This is a
truly admirable s%ill of a great teacher. 6earning should be fun and nothing conveys this message
more than a room that is filled with spontaneous laughter. The sense of humor can relieve tense in
the classroom situations before they become disruptions. ,esides that it will allow us to see the *oy
in our life and ma%e us the happiest person.
#. E2ecution
3 good teacher e2udes confidence and inspires his or her students to as% .uestions. ,oredom is
one of those conditions no teacher wants to have in hisEher classroom. 3n effective teacher must be
enthusiastic !even when he is tired$ always brings new light to challenging sub*ects does not teach
in the same manner every day. 3bove all teachers should be well/groomed as students scrutini0e
every part of a teacher@s appearance to the point of being critical or *udgmental. 3 pleasing vision in
front of them ma%es students more inclined to listen.
(. Discipline
This is probably one of the most difficult areas for teacher to be consistent in our disciplinary
strategies. The most effective teachers are ones who are consistent with how they handle a student.
-rom e2perience a teacher never has an argument with a student in front of the class. 3n effective
teacher will ta%e the student outside away from his peers where he cannot possibly bac% down in
front of them. 8eer pressure is great. 3t the same time action spea%s louder than words. &n the
good old days sitting in the corner wearing a FdunceF hat only served to humiliate and anger a
student. 4riting a hundred lines also serve to remind the student how bad the teacher is. 1aving a
student run up and down nearby steps can help calm a hyper student as will doing ten push/ups in
front of the class. The students can *oin in the countdown of push/ups. 5ther students will even *oin
in wanting to do push/ups. 1ealthy competition as discipline can help rela2 a class. 3n effective
teacher %nows when to give and when to give in when classes are e2cited and difficult to .uiet
down.
9. +ense of belonging
3n effective teacher will also listen when students are addressing concerns in the classroom. ,y
showing their students that they are human beings and do care about them as people they will be
respected as a person and an educator. +ome of the most effective teachers that & have
encountered in my lifetime were interested in my family and me. They also e2pressed interest in my
hobbies. These effective teachers would encourage me to write about my specific hobbies that they
%new that interested me. ,y showing an interest in my life and my interests & loo%ed up to them with
respect. +tudents feel li%e 9they belong: in the classroom of a great teacher. This teacher gives the
class a feeling of family. They wor% cooperatively on mutual goals and with mutual caring. This may
be the most important one.
10. Creativity
+tudents will often remember unusual assignments use of props decorations or costumes that
inspired them to really thin% 9outside the bo2.: +uch is the calling card of the effective teacher. &t
could also be a saying such as 93 stitch in time saves nine.: !,en*amin -ran%lin$. Teachers use a
variety of methods and materials to suit their students@ abilities age and their uni.ue re.uirements.
3n effective teacher %nows the best instructional materials that his class needs for the lesson. -or
instance a year one teacher will use such materials as toys and games to attract the attention of
%ids. 'ery often a teacher finds that some stray remar% ta%es the class in a direction that the
teacher never planned on ta%ing. 3 well/organi0ed teacher will be able to come up with a third
alternative; ta%e the discussion in the direction it is going but alongside the material that she had
planned for the day. This is where a teacher<s organi0ation of material and lesson plans comes
handy. &f every class has been following a set plan !with many une2pected diversions$ the students
would be able to see the broad picture and notice the continuity. They will try and ma%e a
connection to their earlier discussions. Thus it is very important for a teacher to have his material
well organi0ed and have a clear lesson plan. The material should not be of a single variety.
1andouts .ui00es tests wor%sheets and other support material ma%e it more interesting for a
student. -urther as different students have different approaches to learning the teacher can
respond to each one by providing a variety of material.
& believe an effective teacher is a teacher who can help others learn and grow into a better
individual. 3n effective teacher possesses a variety of pedagogical practices that tend to a student@s
needs; these include patience and care for others good communication the ability to handle or deal
with problems appropriately and passion and enthusiasm when it comes to what they are teaching.
These are some of the characteristics value most in my past teachers and these are the
characteristics & believe & too possess as a teacher because & am constantly wor%ing on these s%ills
and demonstrating them in my own life. 3n solid education is the foundation for life. 4hether the
learning ta%es place in a formal or informal setting the role of the teacher is the greatest inspiration
for a student. 3 great teacher finds ways to instill new concepts and perceptions into all students
and in turn ta%es on the role of student themselves allowing to learn from each person they come
in contact with. 3 great teacher treats each student individually %eeps a positive attitude relishes in
the learning process %nows that hands on teaches the best lessons learns from their students and
inspires the love of learning to all. -inally no teacher can be effective unless he li%es the students
he lectures. &t@s the only way to get the best results from them.
REFERENCES
1. Arends, R. 199(. 6earning to Teach !)
th
Ed$. +ingapore; The GcHraw/1ill Companies &nc.
=. Characteristics of an Effective Teacher, Center for Teaching Exceence 'irginia
Commonwealth 7niversity =009 www.vcu.edu
?. T!rn"!, #. =00#. 9 1abits of 1ighly Effective Teachers. Bew Ior%; Continuum &nternational
8ublishing Hroup.
). Characteristics of an Effective Teacher www.1arryARoseJaol.com
". $o!is E Raths FWhat is a Good TeacherF in Childhood Education 3ssociation for Childhood
Education &nternational 4ashington K6 Bo.9