Characteristics Of A Good Teacher/Instructor

"We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give."

- Sir Winston Churchill

Many people would happily switch profession with a teacher. Contrary to the popular belief, that teaching is a stress-free vocation, teaching actually can be quite demanding at times. A teacher has to don the mantle of a lucid communicator, a fair evaluator, an adept manager, a strict disciplinarian, a healing therapist and a skillful team leader. Moreover, at times, a teacher also plays the role of a surrogate parent. Thus, a teacher should possess certain requisite qualities expected of him. This will help him elicit the best from his students and enjoy a rewarding career too. In the following lines, we have mentioned a few characteristics that make good teachers.

Characteristics of a Good Teacher

 Many people have had some type of education, whether it was grade school, high school, college, tutoring, formal or informal. Many people remember a special teacher because of how he or she presented him or herself to

 students. Anyone can be a teacher, but a good teacher displays certain characteristics that are found both in and outside the classroom.

A good teacher displays self confidence. She has control of the classroom and the students know who is in charge. The teacher takes pride in her work and strives for excellence. She knows what to teach and how to teach it.

A good teacher is a consumer of knowledge. He knows the subject material and is always searching for new methods and ideas to use. He shares his knowledge with his students and colleagues. A good teacher is also looking for ideas to develop himself professionally and personally.

A good teacher is prepared. She prepares her lessons and materials in advance. She

follows a regular routing, is organized and has activities readily available. She is also prepared for lessons that do not go as planned. She has backup plans and is willing to change her plans if needed.

A good teacher listens. She listens to her students engage in conversations with one another and encourages her students to engage in conversation with her as well. She is tuned in when a student is having difficulty understanding subject material or when a student is having personal issues. She knows when to step in and when to back off.

A good teacher motivates. He motivates his students to learn and to take on projects independently. He has an enthusiasm that is contagious to his students and colleagues.

A good teacher is fair. She gives all of her students a chance to succeed in her classroom even when the conditions at home are not favorable for the student. She allows students to do their best and recognizes those that try.

A good teacher has a sense of humor. He knows when to laugh at himself and when to laugh with the class. Humor within the classroom can ease any frustration that the teacher and/or student may be experiencing at that moment.

A good teacher has a passion for teaching. Teaching is her number one priority. She talks, writes, and breathes teaching. She wants to make a difference in the lives of her students even if it is just one and gives her  best in her classroom.

Anyone can be a teacher, but only few can become good teachers. The development of a good teacher is a slow, ongoing process. It requires dedication and discipline to the profession

·         One of the most important attribute of a good teacher is to be a good communicator. He should be comfortable explaining things and enjoy doing the same.

·         At times, a teacher might feel like yelling or shouting at students, but a good teacher is one who knows how to keep the temper in check and act calmly in such situations.

·         A good sense of humor is another great tool that helps a teacher to simplify his task. Wit and humor, when applied in the proper manner, can form an important part of a successful teaching program.

·         A good teacher must have good time management skills and always value the importance of time. In fact, wise utilization of time is the hallmark of a good teacher.

·         A teacher should always adopt a fair attitude, when it comes to making any form of evaluations. He should be fair to his profession and assess students on their performance, instead of personal rapports and likings.

·         A good teacher should have the necessary command over the subject matter he teaches. This way, he can be comfortable while explaining things. Besides, he will be equipped with answers of any possible questions that might crop up during the lecture sessions.

·         A teacher should be dedicated towards his work. He should not kill his time in the classroom and wait for the school bell to ring. Instead, taking out time and engaging in after-school meetings and activities is what suits him.

·         A good teacher should be meticulous and have an eye for detail. In fact, a disorganized person would find the vocation unsuitable and unfulfilling. Well thought-out plans and programs for teaching will assist the productivity of a teacher.

·         A good teacher should be a good leader and a good friend. He should also be a disciplinarian and the students must look up to him. However, this should not stop him from acting like an ally under certain situations.

A good teacher: 

- understands the subjects they teach thoroughly
- is able to explain details clearly
- is patient with slow learners
- is fair when grading
- teaches because they love it, not just to collect a paycheck
- knows how to efficiently divide their time among the students
- uses intelligent students to assist when necessary
- prepares for the next day's lesson

tries to make the lessons interesting for the students
- monitors the progress for each student
- communicates with parents, guardians, and other teachers

A good teacher…
* cares about the students.
* listens to the students’ concerns.
* is a true friend to the students which may mean not being liked.
* cares about how the students develop as whole people.
* exemplifies what he/she teaches.
* strives to develop the students into self-teachers.
* knows the material and presents it well.
* is aware of what the students do and do not know.
* is a self-teacher him/herself.
* strives to develop the students into moral individuals.
* is moral him/herself.
* strives to develop the students into self-motivated individuals.
* is motivated him/herself.
* strives to develop the students into self-disciplined individuals.
* is disciplined him/herself.
* challenges the students.
* stretches the students.
* does not enable the students (keep them from growing).
* is flexible.
* caters as much as possible to each student’s individual needs.
* realizes that he or she is a finite human being.
* works with others to accomplish goals (other teachers and students, parents, etc.)
* have creative ways of presenting class
* get to know their students individually
* stand up for their students

• a desire to educate young people and act as a positive role model
• an ability to work with students from diverse backgrounds and abilities
• interest in helping people learn
• enthusiasm about a subject
• strong interpersonal and organizational skills
• the ability to work unsupervised
• creativity, energy and patience

A good teacher…

• Cares about the students.
• Listens to the students’ concerns.
• Is a true friend to the students which may mean not being liked.

• Cares about how the students develop as whole people

• Exemplifies what he/she teaches.
• Strives to develop the students into self-teachers.
• Knows the material and presents it well.
• Is aware of what the students do and do not know.
• Is a self-teacher him/herself.
• Strives to develop the students into moral individuals.
• Is moral him/herself.
• Strives to develop the students into self-motivated individuals.
• Is motivated him/herself.
• Strives to develop the students into self-disciplined individuals.
• Is disciplined him/herself.
• Challenges the students.
• Stretches the students.
• Does not enable the students (keep them from growing).
• is flexible.
• Caters as much as possible to each student’s individual needs.
• Realizes that he or she is a finite human being.
• Works with others to accomplish goals (other teachers and students, parents, etc.).

 Traits of a Good Teacher

Teaching is a profession. Some enjoy it while some don't. For those who do not find joy in teaching, they consider it only as a stable job. It is considered to be a lifetime employment to get by and obtain a meager pension upon retirement. Boring to some, just like the students who detest going to a dreary school.

What about the others who enjoy teaching despite its low pay? What satisfaction do they get? These successful teachers have positive attitudes that aim for their students to love learning. They want their students to enjoy the lessons and discover their own capabilities. They inspire students to appreciate books and encourage them to read to obtain more information. Teaching is also a vocation.

Good teachers have at least three traits. They have classroom management skills,

Knowledgeable of the subject matter, and instructional design and delivery skills.

A teacher with classroom management skills knows how to set rules on the first day of school in order to maintain order for the rest of the year. A skillful teacher should also provide routines and procedures that will ease transition inside the classroom to maximize time for learning. Moreover, to keep the students motivated, the effective teacher should coach, guide, and inspire the students to do very well. Their paths should be enlightened so that they will achieve something noble in the future instead of being a liability to the society. The teacher should also be skillful in providing rewards and consequences to students. Good behavior and academic excellence should be encouraged while nonconformance to rules and performance standards should be reprimanded for improvement.

A good teacher should be knowledgeable of the subject matter being taught. In addition, an instructor should keep abreast with the latest developments through reading, attending conferences, and participating in workshops. A teacher who is also a lifelong learner promotes the same practice to the students. Lecturers are more effective in imparting vital information to the students if they are armed with broad knowledge.

Another important trait of a teacher is to have instructional design and delivery skills. Lessons delivered everyday should be well planned. Some teachers even follow a format such as an anticipatory set, objective, activity, discussion, closure, assessment, and feedback. Other educators consider the learning styles and preferences of the students when planning lessons and activity. They believe that every student is capable of learning; although some students are slow learners while others are gifted with very high intelligence too advanced for their age. There are also students with special needs that require different methods. They may have attention disorders, difficulty in reading, difficulty in writing, visually impaired, physically impaired, and hearing impaired. Furthermore, a lecturer is able to deliver the lessons in an effective manner through

1. What are some characteristics of a good instructor?

 A good instructor has to be likeable.    

 A good teacher is an instructor with a plan. The plan is supposed to take the students from the beginning of the semester to the end, teaching them all they need to know to succeed in the course. The big part of the plan, in my opinion would be a way to facilitate the learning. 

   A good instructor is one that is ready to know his/her student’s problems and to go the extra mile to guide them through their difficulties. It should be easy to trust an instructor because they represent more than their subject matter in front of every class. 

-Enthusiasm for teaching…desire to see students succeed (believes in student’s ability)…positive attitude and confident and knowledgeable about subject…

Willingness to learn from students to some degree…invites questions and constructive criticism; honest; recognizes that each student learns differently

-EX. Teacher expects student to “be on the same page” when he/she is actually not explaining the lesson in a language student can understand. Teacher couldn’t  understand why student didn’t get it…although no intentional I’m sure, I felt the girl was intimidated by the fact she couldn’t just “get it” and move on...teacher need to validate, affirm the student’s questions and feedback and realize it could actually be the teacher’s style that is preventing the student from grasping a concept

- Engaging, for instance, when student raises a question, teacher acknowledges it and tries to answer as best he/she can without losing focus from lesson

+Ex. Teacher stopped lesson to acknowledge a student’s question…the teacher thanked the student for his question and told him he was “already ahead of her” she made a point of praising the student’s question and assured him that his question would be addressed in the lesson shortly, but encouraged him to ask again if she did not answer it satisfactorily...

For me, a teacher is someone who is passionate about that they do.  Someone who teaches for the art of teaching; someone who enjoys passing on the knowledge they possess.  It's not a job for them, it's for the love enlightening someone else's life with knowledge.

A person who feels comfortable in a classroom setting.  Someone who knows that every moment in the classroom is a learning moment and they project a guise, a "game face" that is geared towards learning.

Someone who is knowledgeable about their topic and can teach it in a way that makes it interesting to the students.

A person who encourages questions and frequently asks us if we have any questions.

Someone who can easily insert humor into their presentation and roll with the punches.

A person who can create a "we" environment, a teacher that knows their are a part of our learning process.  Someone who understands this teaching/learning process is like a dance, both have to "flow" together to make it properly work.

Someone who is prepared, someone who walks in, on time, with an agenda and is ready to enlighten us with their wit and knowledge.  They understand they're on stage.

2. What do students want from their teachers?

    I would want guidance from my teacher. I need a teacher to set up a plan, follow the plan and advice the students on how to follow the script to the end of the semester.

   An instructor encourages questions and treats them with respect.

-For instructors to have a clear focus on where the class is headed. i.e., goals are, expectations

-To feel like instructor sees them as an equal; student is not a “blank slate”    but has a contribution to make…see the “whole person” not just student’s ability do meet course expectations..

-Prepared to adjust somewhat according to students’ needs

-Believes in success for each student; encourages an interactive atmosphere...i.e., questions, feedback…

-Respects student’s time (well organized and prepared for lesson) and shows a mutual respect

This is actually my first year at Metro and the Spring semester is my first time taking credits in the classroom…all other learning has been online (started in Fall 2003)

+ EX. Best online course has been my current Int. Cul. Comm: most interactive online course I’ve taken…teacher responds to emails in a timely fashion, made a clear syllabus and updates bulletin board frequently…enforced due dates, but took into consideration students’ unique circumstances i.e., trouble w/ internet/computer, my Belize trip, etc.

Teacher has broad base of knowledge in online learning…understands the virtual classroom

-Ex Previous online classes I felt like it was more of an “Independent study” as opposed to a virtual classroom. It was hard to get teacher feedback for assignments… technology is partly to blame, however…problems submitting papers, taking test, etc… felt sometimes that the online class was not the teacher’s first priority…like I was really a “virtual” studentJ  Some teacher are not trained in teaching online courses…I don’t know how teacher’s are trained or not trained for teaching an online course, but I think with all the changes and innovations there is in technology, teachers of the virtual classroom should have training that is ongoing so they can keep up with the times…

Someone who is interested in why I want to know this information.  A teacher that is interested in my career and my future and gives earnest thought into how I can apply this information towards my goals.

Someone who possesses the ability to paraphrase the information they're teaching as to help me better understand the content.

A person who can "mix-up" the teaching process and not just lecture out of the book.

Again, someone who is passionate about what they're teaching.  I once had a world religions instructor who taught the major religions but was passionate about the beliefs in remote places such as a South American jungle.

I would also like someone who is honorable, a person who has a high standard of integrity and keeps their word.  A person who has papers graded when they say they're going to have them done.

What are the best reasons for becoming a teacher ?

here a millions of reasons why i wanted to become a teacher. Including:
1. I'm really great with little kids.
2. Wanting to pass down a greater knowledge and advice down to generations.
3. Make a difference in people's lives.
4. The holidays are great.
5. The pay is reasonable.
6. Great working hours if you have a family.
7. Enjoy the constant interaction with people, both co-workers and students.
8. Wanting to learn from those younger than yourself.


What makes a good teacher?

The Qualities and Characteristics of a Good Teacher

• Good teachers treat their students with respect
• Good teachers don't have double standards
• Good teachers are honest

• Good teachers give their students a lot of choice in their assignments
• Good teachers have creative ways of presenting class
• Good teachers get to know their students individually
• Good teachers stand up for their students
• Good teachers let students listen to music (with headphones on!)
• Good teachers don't give much or any homework

How to gain the respect of your students & make classes interesting 

This guide is basically divided into two sections - how to earn the respect of your students, and how to make your classes interesting.

How to earn the respect of your students

There seems to be a common misconception among teachers that being respected by your students means that they "shut up and do everything you command". You could probably do it this way if you want, but I assure you, your students will despise your class.

The basic first step to earn their respect is to simply be nice to them. Now, this doesn't mean you should let them walk all over you, but it does mean you shouldn't walk all over them either. You will need to attain some sort of balance. First of all, if you are having a bad day (as we all do from time to time), the best would be to tell your class, so that they can be careful to not aggravate you. That of course doesn't mean someone won't annoy you, but if this happens then at least an angry outburst from you won't be completely unexpected, and since you announced it to begin with, the others should be more likely to accept your apology if you took it out on someone undeserving. Also accept that some of your students may be having a bad day as well, and treat them the way you would want to be treated in such a situation.

Encourage your students to call you by your first name instead of Mr/Mrs etc. This creates a more friendly atmosphere and helps to do away with the idea that you're an authority figure over them, and will encourage them to be more open and friendly with you.

Try to get to know your students individually. Get to know what they like/dislike, their ideas and needs. This can be a lot of work, especially if you teach at a large school, but if you can grade all that homework and keep track of who the good/bad kids are, you should be able to remember a few personal traits as well.

Be honest with your students. Especially when they ask things like "When will I ever use this in real life?". One thing a lot of kids hate is when teachers tell them that it's important to know things like the formula for a parabola. Most people will never use that knowledge again.

Grade things on time. Just as you would expect your students to hand projects in on time, you should set the example by being timely yourself. If you don't grade things on time, then be sure to give your students the same leeway as well.

Don't censor yourself too much. Most students actually like a teacher that swears a little every now and then. On the other hand, don't attempt slang unless you're totally comfortable with it.

Stand up for your students. If you see them being pushed around or bullied by other students or teachers, try to end the conflict, or at least tell the attacker to calm down.

Also, for male teachers: girls occasionally have something called a "period". It means they have to use the restroom more frequently, and females greatly appreciate the allowance of restroom use to "fix themselves up".

Once you've earned the respect of your students, be sure to keep it! Make jokes, fool around a bit when the time is right - try to keep it casual.

How to make your classes interesting

Whenever possible, give your students choices as to what they would like to do and how they want to do it. For example, after covering a section of work, ask them if they'd rather write a test, have a discussion or do a worksheet on it. You could even divide the class according to what they'd rather do, and let them do that. This also counts for projects and papers. Try to avoid giving the whole class the same topic, unless you have to. Even then try to give them as much leeway as possible.
Try to come up with other ways of presenting things instead of sticking to lesson plans or text books. If you just stand in the front and lecture the whole time, the chances of anyone paying attention are slim.

Also, don't be too eager to offer help to a student, but do make it clear that if they want help they should ask. Some kids like to figure things out for themselves, while others prefer to be told how to do it.

Don't place too much emphasis on keeping your class quiet. Some students will want to help each other or work together, this is a good thing. In fact, don't be the only one talking. Encourage discussion. Let your students interrupt you from time to time to discuss a point. Don't worry if you end up straying off the point a little, just try to keep track of where you were and don't let it go too far. Allow students to move around and sit next to a friend, as long as they do all their work and don't cause major disruptions.

Don't worry about drinks or food in class as long as the class stays clean. If someone makes a mess, they should clean it up themselves right then and there.

Some people work faster and better if there is music. Since not everyone has the same taste in music, allow your students to listen to whatever they like with headphones on, as long as it's not too loud.

Let students start their homework in your class. This way it becomes more like classwork, and whatever isn't finished by the end of class becomes homework. This way whoever works quickly in class doesn't get homework. The other benefit of this is that you are still there to help them, should they need something explained. I have heard so many complaints by kids who sat up all night trying to finish some math homework that they didn't understand how to do in the first place. Also, be lenient - ask your students if they've already received homework for other classes, and how much of it. If they already have a lot, don't give more. The best option would be to just never give any homework, unless the subject in question is something like math where practice is needed.

With regard to assignments, try to work out due dates with other teachers so that students don't get overworked with assignments on different subjects all at the same time.