What makes a teacher a good teacher? There are so many aspects that contribute to determining this...To determine this you also have to realize you must be a good person to even have a possibility of being a good teacher. My personal definition of being a good person is: a kind person who does not think only of themselves. All of my teachers in the past would agree with the statement that I have not made teaching me easy, I would not be at all surprised if worse things have been said. I do not make it easy. However, I also do not believe they have the love or willingness to deal with hundreds of students that walk through their door. So now, I will lay out my qualifications of being a good teacher; the qualifications that some of my teachers have possessed, making them in my eyes, good teachers...
Everyone has a had a class that is an “easy A.” These teaches do nothing in class and expects nothing in return. These are the teachers who want to be more of a friend than an instructor. Yes, these classes are fun but did you really learn anything? To be a good teacher you have to teach, thats not something you ned to contemplate. Grading to easy does not let the student learn anything because they have no motivation to try. I have personally had a few teachers who are the “easy A” type, all I learned was that I needed to be nice for fifty minutes and I would get my desired A. A good teacher is one who has a balance between friendship and teaching.
There are also the crazy, psychotic, or with lack of better words, mentally disturbed teachers. Now, when I say this, I truly wish it was my misunderstanding of their teaching methods but it really is not. I once had a teacher who growled at her students, wore snuggies to class, and screamed for no reason. Teachers who seem to have mental problems should not be teaching. I do realize this was an obvious example of bad teaching methods. However, when writing this blog this was the absolute first thing that popped in my head. A good teacher is normal.
The other problematic teachers are the mean, bitter teachers. These teachers are the ones who yell, have no patients, and are plain mean. They are the teachers who do not want to be there. I have had to many of these types to count. In high school particularly, teachers are worn out from all of the troublemakers, this results in them taking it out on the other students. Teachers can say this is not true, however I have heard many teachers admit to being worn out. My question, “why are you teaching then?” A good teacher is someone who desires to be there and teach you.
I have given three negatives about teachers. Most of my teachers are in the previously stated categories, so whats left? The teachers who have been placed in my mind as good teachers are the best of the best. The teachers that have made me want to be there and learn, to hear what they have to say. These teachers are kind and think about how stressful being a teenager really is. These teachers consider your needs. These teachers love to be there. They are not thinking about after school, they are thinking about now. I love to have those types of teachers. These are the teachers I want to give my respect to. This is the qualifications for being a good teacher. Trust me, those teachers know who they are.
