Recently I was asked this question: What attributes or qualities does an outstanding teacher possess?
This is what I came up with. And no, they aren’t listed in order of importance, just in the order I thought of them.
1. In order to be an outstanding teacher you need to be committed to doing the best job that you can do. For a teacher, that means staying current on the research both in teaching methods and classroom content and then implementing the new content and methods in the classroom.
2. Another attribute of being an outstanding teacher is to be able to accurately assess where your students are, meet them there, and then figure out the best way to help them move forward.
3. An outstanding teacher conducts classes in ways that foster self-respect and build confidence in the students.
4. An outstanding teacher is not afraid to seek support or advice from other professionals.
5. An outstanding teacher takes full responsibility for what goes on in the classroom and constantly evaluates his/her own performance and makes changes accordingly.
6. An outstanding teacher isn’t afraid to try new methods and approaches and in fact seeks them out knowing that the teacher/learner relationship is an evolving process.
I know this list is incomplete and I’d like your help expanding it.
What would you add to this list? Would you take anything off? Whether you are a student, a parent, or a teacher, I’d like to know what quality or qualities you think are most important for a teacher to have?
Thanks for your thoughts!!
Northwriter 