What students need from their teachers?

If you want to decide which school or college you’d instead send your kid to, the first thing you should check is the teachers. Teaching is a huge challenge. It is an indicator of your ability to communicate. It is also proof of how well you know a particular topic. A philosopher once said: ”If you are incapable of explaining anything to a 5-year-old child, this means you don’t know it yourself.” To better understand what teachers have to do for our kids, let’s see how they think and what they expect from them. Below, we list four of the most vital characteristics a teacher should have, to be appreciated and well-received by its audience.

1. Be aware of your subject
   One of the most important things for a teacher of any level is to be trained efficiently over the topic he attends to teach. To teach a lesson, you have to be an expert on a particular subject. Some of the students are going to be average, and some might be able just to pass. At the same time, in your class, there will be those who have a deep comprehension of what you teach and will bother you with a ton of questions above the class level. A teacher has to be able to respond and not to let students down. It would be best if you considered that you need to know ten times more of what you teach, to be able to enter a class. However, if you are not aware of something avoid giving a fake answer. Admit your lack of knowledge and promise to study and discuss further this matter the next time.

   

2. Be communicative
   While expertise over the subject is crucial, the ability to pass the information to the learners is of higher significance. This skill is a combination of many parameters. The instructor has to be able to sense how much his audience understands and adjust the class’s standards to the learners’ individual level. They also have to make the lesson enjoyable, so that people do not get bored. The number of students who enter the class is a good indicator of how popular the teacher is. It’s essential to ask questions and keep the audience alert while at the same time you check if what you say is understood by the majority of the people. Interact and make sure you are all together in the learning process.

   

3. Have relationships
   The teaching process is not dull when teachers do their performance and students passively write down their notes. Relationships between teachers and students grow as this process takes place. Students are most of the time younger and they need to have role models. They see their teachers as people who they can respect and people who can be inspiring to them. For a young student to find the courage to make a question and not feel that they might be criticized, teachers have to build a special bond with the learners. Students need to see a friend that they can confide in their questions regarding the lesson. Meanwhile, they need to see a passionate person about his work and wants to achieve the best results.

   

4. Be consistent
   On their journey to success, students have to discipline themselves to absorb all the new information provided by the institute. To respect their own time they need to see someone who appreciates them also. The teacher has to be strict at some points giving all the essential motivation to the students to help them do their best. Any instructor has to be on time and dressed for the occasion. They need to impose order in a civilized way and do a series of actions that implies they take their job seriously. Giving papers back to students in a timely manner is a perfect example. In addition, they have to prepare tests and give feedback about the students’ performance. They have to provide useful material and refer to sources that students can check if they want to further understand the topic. Going that extra mile to make sure that you make the most out of each student is essential to consider yourself a good teacher.

   

Written by Anna Siampani.