What things make for a good teacher ...
I think, from time to time, about what makes a good teacher.
I have reduced my thoughts to a few salient points:
1. Empathy: A good teacher should remember what s/he, as a student, felt when s
/he was sitting at that desk listening to his or her teacher. What was it that
coaxed the spark of interest into a warm flame for "me"?; what put a wet blanket
over the topic under discussion leaving "me" bored and itching to be somewhere
else?.
You, teacher, are a member of the human race just as are your students. It may
be best to try to teach in a way that you remember sparked interest in you and encouraged you to wish to seek out more information and further understanding of
the topic.
I still remember my favourite teacher, an older man who taught a subject of intense boredom for me, the dead language Latin. But he, the man and teacher, has never been forgotten by me as so many others have been. Why? He looked upon each student as an acquaintance to be respected, to be encouraged in expressing him
or herself whenever and however s/he made the attempt. He obviously treated us
as he would wish to be treated.
2. Patience: A student who is struggling to express an idea or respond with an
answer should be given the time, the chance to do his or her best. Sometimes this may seem to waste time in the class, but, a class is made up of individuals and each one should have his or her own time to participate. This is just showing
the respect each student is owed.
3. Knowledge: The teacher must be as well-informed as any of his or her students. Loss of respect for a teacher happens quickly as students learn of a teacher'
s ignorance.
Might any other readers or teachers have something more to add to my thoughts?
David
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轻松英语