DO YOU LOVE TO TEACH…??

 

When I was  in school , I had a few favourite teachers ( just like any other school going kid ! ) and a few ‘ nightmarish’ ones too.  Even to this day , I remember  those few good teachers ,who have in some way or the other contributed to the kind of person I am today…And whenever I think of them , I do so with a lot of love and affection….

That is when I began to ponder over those qualities that make these teachers stand apart from the rest in the crowd…; what was it that made them so unique ,that their students ( me and many others like me ! ) still feel attached to them..

A little more thinking brought   to me  the answers …and when I became a teacher myself I did try ,to inculcate those qualities in myself too , though whether I succeeded in my endeavour , is for my students to answer… !

 

Based on my experience as a student  , and later as a teacher , I have concluded that a good teacher should possess the following qualities :

• A cheerful disposition : A teacher who smiles and enters the classroom will pass on  the positivity , to her students as well. A long-faced teacher , will only contribute to loss of interest among the students and make them sad too…
• Hard working :  As they say there is no short cut to success…Similarly , to be a good teacher one has to do his/her homework.  A teacher should be well prepared for the class and dedicated to the subject. Students have the uncanny ability to gauge you level of preparation…
• Patient : A teacher has to have loads of patience to answer the queries of the inquisitive students and never discourage questions ( unless they are completely unrelated to the topic at hand ! )
• Understanding : A teacher needs to have a good understanding of his/her students , their abilities , their aptitudes and also of their weaknesses and  work accordingly. Performance is relative in nature and what is good for one , may not be considered good for a student with more calibre.
• Establishing a good rapport with the students 
• Make the class interesting : Merely reading from the book or lecturing the students will only distract them from the subject and lose interest. A teacher should be able to use examples from real life , books ,even movies ,  and current affairs to make students identify with the subject matter ( this is particularly useful while teaching History and science )
• Class discussions and debates : A class , particularly the social sciences ,can get monotonous and boring for the students if not handled well . So a good teacher is onw who can retain the curiosity of the pupils by engaging them in various subject related activities.
• Not hurry with the syllabus : It is important to complete the syllabus on time ,but that should not be the criteria on which to base one’s teaching.  A teacher’s aim should be to enhance the knowledge of the students and enable better understanding of the subject in them ,while also motivating them to read further on the subject.

HERE ARE A FEW SIGNS , THAT YOU STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO !!!

• Your students welcome you with groans and moans….
• When the bell goes , they are not willing to wait for a second more to let you complete your sentence.
• You find many of your students yawn and a few even steal a cat nap , in between your class
• Your students express happiness when you tell them ,you might be absent for a few days !
• When you meet them outside the school ,most of them turn way from you or pass by without wishing
• The performance of your students deteriorates from time to time.
• your ex-students make no effort to stay in touch with you or show any other kind of attachment to you

 

You will know you are an ‘AWESOME’  teacher if :

• You love your job !
• you love your students
• you are greeted by smiling faces ,when you enter your classroom
• your students are filled with enthusiasm regarding the topic at hand ( chances are your class is a noisy one ! )
• you are asked umpteen amount of questions related to the topic 
• willing participation of the students in class discussion
• most of your students develop a new found love for your subject
• You are greeted and wished ,wherever you meet
•  Your social networking site is filled with friend requests from your ex-students , after you have left the school  !
• Even after years , they remember to stay in touch

 

 ALWAYS REMEMBER , TEACHING IS A PASSION , NOT A VOCATION OUT OF COMPULSION ! DON’T BE A TEACHER BECAUSE YOU NEED A JOB , BE A TEACHER BECAUSE YOU LOVE THE JOB !!!