10 Qualities of a Good Teacher

Do you agree with the above statement? As an elementary school teacher of eight years and a professor in the education field for 10 years, I can firmly state that this is false. Our children and students deserve better than this, and you might be the person who is capable and ready to teach. 

If you are asking yourself, Should I be a teacher? and What makes a good teacher?, look at this list to see if teaching might be a good fit for you. Here are 10 qualities of a good teacher.

In This Article:

• What Makes a Good Teacher?
• Strengthen Your Teaching Abilities at GCU

What Makes a Good Teacher?

There are many qualities and strengths of a teachers. It is important to note that you don’t need to have all of these qualities in order to be a good teacher. Being a good teacher is reflective of how you lead and teach a classroom. We’re going to explore 10 different teacher skills to help answer the question you may have, Would I be a good teacher?

1. Good Communicator

Communication and honesty are traits that all teachers must have. No matter what your students’ age, they are looking to you as a role model. Thus, you should communicate clearly and honestly. This will not only help them with practical skills, such as literacy and verbal communication, it will help form a bond between you and your students, increasing students’ motivation to learn and decreasing possible behavior issues.

You also need great communication among yourself and parents, administrators and community members. Articulating your expectations, sharing data and inviting the community to school functions show that you are professional and dedicated to your work. Having these strong relationships can make the difference between teachers who are successful and those who are not.

2. Fair and Respectful

Other important teacher skills include being fair and respectful. Good teachers recognize that students are unique, from their cultural backgrounds to academic abilities to religions and school interests. Recognizing students’ differences is the first step in creating a fair and respectful classroom because it can allow you to help students have what they need to be successful. 

Teachers need to recognize not only how their students are doing academically, but socially and emotionally as well. Then, together you can create a classroom community of respect and human flourishing, allowing you to care for each student in your class with fairness.

3. Develop Relationships With Students

Developing relationships with students is a continuation of recognizing each student as a unique and special person. Building good relationships with students not only makes the classroom a much more successful learning environment, it models for students what good relationships should look like. 

This can give them life skills such as problem-solving and teamwork. Good teachers build positive relationships by delivering thoughtfully designed lessons tailored to their students’ needs, fostering a sense of community and teamwork in the classroom and dedicating time to one-on-one interactions with each student.

4. Use Hands-On Examples Within Learning

I think everyone had people in their high school algebra class who would raise their hand and ask, When am I ever going to use this in the real world? It is true; quality learning must be connected to the context in which it will be used or your students will not be motivated to learn. 

Are you someone who can make a connection between what you are teaching and how it will be used in a student’s life? Then teaching might be for you. Sharing practical examples can spark students’ curiosity and help them make connections that can make learning worthwhile and meaningful. Teachers often bring in experts, relevant artifacts and involve parents in creating these experiences for students.

5. Stay Balanced and Organized

Finding balance between work and personal life is important in any job, but it is especially important in teaching. It is easy to take home grading or lesson plans, but you must take time for self-care and family, friends and community. 

Teacher burnout is common because many teachers carry the world on their shoulders. However, by making sure you are organized, using your time wisely, and finding a balance between work and home, you could have the skills to make this job into a meaningful profession.

6. Hold Students to High Expectations

Many adults believe their teachers gave up on them. If you are someone who thinks you can break that trend, then teaching might be for you. Showing students that you are dedicated to their learning and won’t accept the bare minimum is what will drive students to constantly improve themselves. Having the support of a trusted adult like a teacher telling them that they can do better might be the spark a student needs to shine.

7. Make Decisions Based on Data

Do you love numbers, charts and spreadsheets? You would be surprised how much data is involved in teaching. Not only do you have data like test scores and grades to work with, but you also have data on students’ demeanors, strengths, weaknesses, family life, etc. 

If you like the idea of figuring out the pieces of students’ personal puzzles and helping them improve, you have the strengths of a teacher. Using data can inform your decisions about lesson planning and student growth, and parents love it when you can show them the progress their child made over the school year.

8. Advocate for the Needs of Others

Do you like to stand up for others? Are you the person who will defend someone in a tough situation? Do you like to help others when they are down? Students in today’s schools need advocates. Good teachers pay attention to their students’ needs and find a way to help.

Whether that means talking to the student’s parents, getting them something to eat when they have no food, or recommending a student for a gifted program, teachers can be the voice of their students. Many adults today have a favorite teacher from their childhood and it is often the teacher who advocated for them in one way or another.

9. Commit to Teaching and Learning

Dedication and commitment are some of the most important strengths of a teacher. In the movies you see teachers walking out of their classrooms as soon as the bell rings and getting into class after all the students are already seated, which is not what students need. 

They need a teacher who carefully crafted a lesson, spent time giving quality feedback on assignments and perhaps even created a personal handshake with each student in the class. This doesn’t mean you spend all day and night at school; that is not a good balance, but putting in the extra effort is something that your students will notice. Showing dedication to students means they will often mirror that in their schoolwork. 

10. Life-long Learner

If you are still wondering, Would I be a good teacher? then ask yourself this, Are you dedicated to bettering yourself and others? A good teacher is someone who loves learning. They want to be great at their profession and reflect on what they did well or could have done better each school day. They seek out resources to help them understand a subject, create a lesson plan and lean on the community of teachers at their school for support. They ask questions and find answers, so they can give their students the best instruction and learning experience possible.

Strengthen Your Teaching Abilities at GCU

Do you have the qualities of a good teacher? If you have even two or three of these teacher skills, teaching might be a good fit for you. A bachelor’s in education may be right for anyone with the drive to be a role model for youth today. Learn more about Grand Canyon University’s College of Education and the variety of education degrees offered.