Teacher Qualities For Effective Learning

Are you thinking about signing up for a career in teaching? Wondering if it's for you? What sort of qualities do teachers need to have to be effective in the classroom?  This post aims to outline the most vital characteristics needed to ensure effective learning in your classroom. Read on to see if it's for you. 

To list the qualities that teachers should have is a never-ending job. To cater for all the needs in the classroom, while ensuring to create a loving, safe and welcoming environment, be a master of your subject knowledge, know each child's learning needs and provide pastoral and medical care all at the same time can be a difficult job to have. While the list of characteristics needed for the role is endless, here are some of the most vital to ensure effective learning in your classroom. ​

To enjoy working with children -
While you may think this is a given, sometimes teachers get into the job for the wrong reasons – holidays, salary or a passion for their subject, forgetting that they will be working with children almost 40 hours a week. To work with children means that you need to have patience, an abundance of energy, a caring and loving personality, praise and support learners, and be compassionate and caring. All these qualities are vital to building a strong working relationship with the pupil. A child will learn more effectively in an environment where someone is interested in them and their overall outcome.

Being dedicated to the job –
Unfortunately, teaching is a profession where, when you come home in the evenings, you do not switch off. Sometimes you need to plan lessons, grade work, analyze a situation that happened at school, be concerned about the well-being of a pupil, or coach a sport or run an after school's club. Being a teacher also means that you probably won’t be able to go to the local supermarket or cinema without running into a student. Being in the teaching profession is not a nine to five role, so be sure to understand that before you begin. Once you are happy with the decision to become a teacher, you will thrive in the classroom, enjoying those chance meeting with pupils helping to build relationships.

Being a Multitasker –
Organization is key to any success in the classroom. However, so is using three different teaching strategies, knowing who learns best in which way, understanding that one child may have a special needs, while another child has an issue at home that involves you providing extra support, knowing that a third child has to get medical attention for his diabetes shortly, while seeing two students on their mobile phones and one who is staring out the window watching the PE department play hockey, trying to support the classroom assistant in the room, all while teaching a difficult concept. Being a multitasker is essential to ensure that you are catering for all the students in your room, reaching out and keeping them all focused on learning.  

Subject knowledge -
If you are passionate about your subject, your students will be too. They will love going to your classroom and seeing how animated you are. You will think of creative ways to teach different topics, and these will remain in your student's minds long after they leave school.

The list of qualities of a successful teacher is endless. But, I believe the ones listed above paint the picture of what is truly involved in the role. What are some characteristics that you think are important to the teaching profession?