What does it mean to be a great teacher? Of course credentials, knowledge, critical thinking, and all other faculties of intelligence are important. However, a great teacher should be much more than credentials, experience and intelligence.
What lies in the heart of a great teacher?
You are kind: a great teacher shows kindness to students,
colleagues, parents and those around her/him. My favorite saying is “kindness
makes the world go around”. It truly changes the environment in the classroom
and school. Being a kind teacher helps students feel welcomed, cared for and
loved.
You are compassionate: Teaching is a very humanistic
profession, and compassion is the utmost feeling of understanding, and showing
others you are concerned about them. A compassionate teacher models that
characteristic to the students with her/his actions, and as a result students
will be more open to understanding the world around them.
You are empathetic: Empathy is such an important trait to
have and to try to develop in ourselves and our students. Being able to put
yourself in someone’s shoes and see things from their perspective can have such
a powerful impact on our decisions and actions.
You are positive: Being a positive person, is not an easy
task. Being a positive teacher is even harder when we’re always met with
problems with very limited solutions. However, staying positive when it’s tough
can have such a tremendous positive impact on the students and everyone around
us. Looking on the bright side always seems to help make things better.
You are a builder: A great teacher bridges gaps and builds
relationships, friendships, and a community. Teachers always look to make
things better and improve things in and outside of the classroom. Building a
community is something a great teacher seeks to do in the classroom and extends
that to the entire school and its community.
You inspire: Everyone looks at a great teacher and they want
to be a better teacher, they want to be a better student, even better, they
want to be a better person. A great teacher uncovers hidden treasures,
possibilities and magic right before everyone’s eyes.
http://www.edutopia.org/
