Two days ago, a friend and I got into a discussion over good teachers at our school that got me thinking. Although most are decent, there are some that are mediocre and a few that are excellent. From these, I have seen a few qualities I feel make an exemplary (public school) teacher:
Depth of knowledge: Obviously, a teacher has to know the subject well. Those that have gone over the material enough understand the intricacies and subtleties of the subject. They have seen enough to not need to check back on resources to clarify for themselves but are a walking encyclopedia for their subject. They have studied their subject so intensively that they can explain it with clarity and simplicity. At this point, a teacher is an expert in the subject and serves as a fallback for students' questions and problems.
Breadth of knowledge: There is a point where the teacher knows the material so well that he views the subject in its entirety: breadth of knowledge. Usually, when you study something, you break it into pieces do make a daunting task less so. In school, a teacher does this by splitting the material into units of related material. Although this can cover the material in depth, it severs the connections between units that otherwise would be kept if the subject were viewed as a whole. A good teacher understands not only a unit as a standalone but how it is connected to the overall spirit of the course. He can make connections between not only different units but also other subjects.
My chemistry teacher explained equilibrium and solubility with analogies based on non-chemistry subjects, connecting it with visible phenomena my class and I could easily understand.
Humility: A good teacher knows the limits of his knowledge. He understand that his students may have other interests at heart or priorities over the material he is teaching and that he is not the center of their world.
I have a teacher who is a doctorate in chemistry, and although she of all my teachers probably knows the most about the subject, she is the most humble. She's one of the few teachers I have had that actually says "I don't know" when a student asks a stumping question. She is willing to admit when she is wrong and correct her error.
Humility is not solely personality-dependent. Generally, the more a person knows about something, the more aware they are about their lack of knowledge. So humility not only indicates a better personality but it points to greater knowledge.
Reasonableness: A good teacher understands the limits of his students to challenge but not exceed their capabilities to not squeeze interest out of them.
My math teacher this year, although the smartest I have ever had, has turned me off from math because of the exactness she expected on tests. Nowhere else besides my math tests do single-digit errors drop my grade by over 5%.
Understanding: A good teacher understands how his students think and view the world so that he can tailor his lessons to them. He knows his students' workload and adapts accordingly because the best work is not done without the time constraints of other classes.
Consistency: A good teacher is consistent in grading and attitude. He should be depended upon when it comes to fairness and justice.
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