Qualities of an Ideal Teacher (Requirements for the Perfect Teacher)

Dr. S. Sundararajan

 

Every teacher and faculty must do a reality check of each of these qualities sincerely. Being a teacher is not so easy, tick off what they have. Pick up what they don’t posses. Improvement happens. We need to be better and better at teaching and also teaching – learning process. Learning is infinite in this information age and knowledge economy.

 

Along with sound foundation of knowledge, skill, dedication a teacher, a mentor (and any leader) should have

• 360^o eye sight to see positive of anything before negative
• Helping hands
• Clear mind
• Clean heart
• Genuine and selfless concern about  students, colleagues and all
• Mother’s heart to forgive the student
• Quest for quality
• Crystal clear behavior

 

A teacher should be always devoted to develop his student that he becomes better and advance version of the teacher himself. Apart from above all of these, Teacher is a very honest person and a very hardworking person. As a teacher touches the future, he/she should have a strong ‘future-orientation’.

 

Following are the essential orientations strongly recommended:

 

1. Quality-orientation
2. Social-orientation
3. Scientific-orientation
4. Moral/ethical/spiritual-orientation
5. Result-orientation

 

Inspiring personality and motivational skills are reflecting the impact on the students and their lives over a period of life.  The students who were taught in 90’s were asked to give feedback in 2016. Most of them reported upward trend in their lives.

 

As Swami Nanda states: Education is manifestation of qualities already inherent in a student. So, a teacher’s job is to facilitate so that the student may exhibit those qualities for the benefit of society, nation, world, family and self. Personal traits good, but what those personal traits give to the society is also important.

 

What makes a good Teacher Great?

 

All teachers are good! Great teacher scores the highest points on two fronts: task and students rapport. Only the great teacher begets another great teacher.

• Good in sharing his knowledge on the subject as relevant to the students whom he is teaching. So, before teaching, he should learn himself.
• Good as Counselor to the students and also to their Parents. Good as Mentor to the students.
• Positive outlook, capacity to listen, possesses and practice life skills and finally devoted to the profession.

 

A great teacher is the one

• Who identify the strengths and weaknesses of a student and deal accordingly.
• Teacher finds the dream of each student and leads him to achieve it.
• He / She update the knowledge every day especially in specialized areas.
• Teacher learns the latest teaching pedagogy/ Heutagogy of teaching.
• Add on skills; especially communication and inter-personal relationship.
• Innovativeness in teaching style.
• Never hurt a student for no fault of theirs. Never be rude to a student when they show genuine gratitude and love for a teacher. Never make your own assumptions as a teacher and never put a student down so much that it makes the student get into emotional or psychological stress
• A student can always feel the enthusiasm and interest shown by the teacher for student development. Genuine teachers – the vibes can be felt by the student community
• As a teacher be loving and encourage students, be kind to them and not harsh. A few messages from a teacher like ‘hi how are you’, ‘hope all well at your end, what are you doing these days ‘goes a long way for a student. The ego or pride of a teacher doesn’t go up or down if it is sent to a student.
• Last but not the least, just like we teachers expect remembrance, gratitude from our students, even as students they feel good if as teachers we show that little bit of care and concern for them.

 

Apart from our education and knowledge we posses, as a faculty, I believe the following qualities are very essential for a teacher;

 

• Vocation for teaching. (passion – natural or self-created)
• Patience and perseverance. (purity too)
• Updated with the new teaching methods and techniques.
• Keep learning and educating self.
• Approachability and the ability to develop an excellent rapport with our learners.
• Self-assessment.
• Effective management (self and class) and communication skills.
• Organized and well prepared for the lessons.
• Ability to explain and clarify things in a simple way.
• Treat the learner fairly.
• Ability to anticipate learners’ difficulties/problem. (Coming down mentally to the level of students’ mental level)