How to be good?

Being good at what you’re doing. That’s something everybody wants to achieve. I am not an exception here. You want to be a good cook? You buy a cookery book, watch Gordon Ramsay on TV and practise preparing fancy dishes. You want to be good at sports? You work out every day, no exception, streaming with sweat. You want to be a good musician? You get yourself an instrument of your choice and practise, no matter that your neighbours hate you and all your family members are equipped with earplugs. Sounds quite uncomplicated. Difficult, time-consuming – but still uncomplicated. But when it comes to being a good teacher, it seems to be harder. There are university studies, methodology courses, seminars and workshops. All of these are supposed to produce perfect teachers. The list of all these courses I’ve taken part in seems to be endless. Still I don’t think any of them gave me the answer to the basic question – how to be a good teacher? There are people who teach me how to do it, however. Who? You! My students. Every day, every lesson, every single interaction with you gives me more than the most expensive courses. And this is what I like most about my job – that my students are my teachers:) Teachers who teach me how to teach better.
I remember my perfect teacher at school very well. She was really demanding, a real monster forcing us to study more and more. But at the same time she was always equipped with a smile and ready to talk about absolutely everything. She was my English teacher, and actually she’s been my professional guru.
And you? If you could design a perfect teacher – what would they be like?

And I hope after 35 years of teaching I won’t look like this:

teacher after 35 years of service

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture source: self-learning-eoicoruna.blogspot.com 

9 Responses to How to be good?

  1. In my opinion you’re good teacher. You can tell straight: “I don’t know everything”. It’s very good as only a bad teacher says: “I know everything. Don’t answer me back!”
    Nobody is perfect, we’re only humans. We learn each day from other people.
    All people teach new things to me and you. Nodody is perfect.
    Ps. You don’t look like this woman in the picture.

  2. That’s a relief that I don’t look like the woman in the picture:) And I hope I never will:)

  3. In my opinion, good teacher should definitely listen to what students want to say.
    A perfect teacher doesn’t have to lead a lecture, instead of that, he should talk with his pupils and give lots of exercises, to make them practise more. A good teacher should be always ready to give an important advice in case if any of the students ask him for.

  4. An ideal teacher: patient, understanding, sociable, is ready to talk on life issues, interesting learning, fun, laughs at himself, is able to admit a mistake, does not favor anyone, just precisely explains each topic. That does not mean that other teachers are not good, because you know that there are no ideals.

  5. A good teacher treats students like partners not like somebody inferior. And this is most important.

  6. In my opinion a perfect teacher should understand the student who has problems at home. The teacher should help when we don’t understand something, explain the effect and try to explain it in different ways. At the same time we should understand that the teacher doesn’t always find time for us because it’s your life and your family, and we need to understand it. At school not every teacher is perfect but there are exceptions.

  7. Firstly, a good teacher should like teaching others. Some teachers teach because they must. Unfortunately, they can’t do it. Next, an ideal teacher should be humane. I mean they should know how to help the student who has problems.

  8. In my opinion a good teacher needs to be qualified in his/her profession and he/she should be understandable. He/she should also listen to students’ needs.

  9. The ultimate dream in life is to do what you love and learn something from it. 🙂
    I used to have the best polish teacher ever when I was in the middle school. She was demanding as hell. I didn’t like her at first and she didn’t like me. So typical. But then one day come when I was really sad and wanted to talk to somebody, not matter who it was. I told her about my problem, she said that everything was gonna be fine. And I think that’s how our friendship started – if I can call that this way.
    In my opinion a teacher should be demanding but not too much. Students have their life too and they don’t want to study all the time! 🙂

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