The Image of The Perfect Teacher
What qualities should a teacher have? Personal or professional qualities, and which ones are more important? For example, is it possible for a teacher to be charged with a duty to love children, or is it enough that he treats them with respect and good knowledge of his subject? Should a teacher be an outgoing leader? Which teacher is better - kind or strict?
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Alla S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Language Proficiency
Nobody will argue that the desire to learn from a professional who knows the subject is natural. Every English teacher must know the language. It would seem obvious! However, the simple truth is often neglected. People, who have decided to teach English, must constantly improve the level of their language, without ceasing to research and development. The same applies to teaching methods: it is one thing to know the language, quite another to be able to teach the language to others.
Also Read: The Best Strategies for Reducing Teacher Talk Time
Soft Skills
However, knowledge of the subject is insufficient in the modern teaching market. As in any work with people, it does not hurt to be empathetic - in the context of teaching, this means being able to understand the student’s problem and sincerely want to help solve it. In other words, it is sometimes called interest, which includes identifying the true purpose of the student and understanding that students learn the language not just to know it, but to solve a problem in their life with the help of English as a tool. Another obvious thing that can be added to empathy is friendliness. Everyone knows how much a simple smile can change an attitude. Therefore, the teacher’s pensive and gloomy face must be left outside the classroom.
Creativity
Everyone knows that the teaching profession is perhaps one of the most creative. It's not just about how long the teacher has been working. Teachers often have to work with large groups, with limited materials or without materials at all - the ability to adapt to the situation, adapt material, assignments, and come up with an interesting game will make an educator a master of his/her craft. No one says that people need to run courses in drawing, dancing or playing the guitar. Everyone has their talents. However, they should leave the comfort zone from time to time and be not afraid to try new things with the students - it will certainly not be superfluous.
At times, students can infuriate their tutors: disciplinary problems, poor or slow perception of the material, distraction, and lack of attention in the lesson. However, teachers should understand that all people are different and learn differently. Whatever happens in the lesson, they should stay calm and be patient. Moreover, everything can be fixed. If students have some problems with the lesson, it is a teacher who knows how to solve the problems and does it.
Also Read: Tips for EFL Teachers Coming to Teach English in Vietnam
Organizational Skills
One of the important points is to always be organized and punctual. Surely teachers do not like it when students are late and it is no wonder that the feeling is mutual. To be late is not only unethical but also may result in failure of the lesson, because due to being late a teacher will not be able to prepare a board, arrange the seating as needed for the assignment, etc. An English teacher should always be organized, ready for a lesson, be in place at the appointed time, or preferably earlier.
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In the life of every person, a teacher plays a large and important role. Education and upbringing are steps in life that lead us into adulthood, raising us to a higher level of development. In my opinion, an important point is a spiritual and cultural education. The teacher is like a sculptor. He sculpts his students from clay, creating real masterpieces, makes us smart, educated, that is full-fledged citizens of society. Each child has his talents and a true teacher who loves his job should see them and help them open up, give birth to a grain of independence in our soul, so that later, after years, we can apply them in life situations.
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