Great teachers have the power to inspire and mould the minds of thousands of students throughout their careers, they are the ones who not only impart vital knowledge but also give students the belief which they need to go on to have a successful life. If you are looking into taking on teaching as a career then you have made a wise choice. Teaching is a rewarding and noble career which pays well and has great prospects. If you work hard you could follow in the footsteps of people like Peter Benedict St Andrews head teacher who was an inspirational teacher and a great head. Today we are going to look at the skills that great teachers possess and the skills which you will need in order to succeed.
Be Confident
Standing in front of a classroom of children all looking to you for leadership and knowledge can be a scary prospect and in order to teach well, you need to do so with confidence. Even if you are feeling nervous in your early months or years it is important that you leave the nerves at the door and put faith in your own ability.
Be Engaging
In order to get your message across as a teacher it is vital that you have a style that engages your students. Someone standing in the classroom and reading from a book in a monotone voice will not inspire anyone to learn and you need to have a flexible and charismatic style that will peak the interest of your students.
Have Great Communication Skills
Being a great teacher is not just about talking, it is about listening in equal measure and the best teachers have excellent communication skills. These skills will not only help in the classroom but also when speaking with parents or fellow teachers.
Be Organized
Although you will be teaching a set curriculum you will have a lot of autonomy on how you do so and planning your lessons well ahead of time will be crucial. To this end you will need to have excellent organizational skills which will help you not only to plan your lessons in advance but also to stay in control of you marking and your appraisals of students. Teachers are measured heavily at the moment and regularly tested so you will need to ensure that you are well organized in terms of how you are managing your students.
Be Motivating
Teaching is far more than just giving your students knowledge, it is also about motivating your students to learn and ini order to so you need to find different ways of motivating different types of people. Some students will be better motivated though incentives where as some will need to be pushed on a daily basis and challenged. Working out the best method of motivation for each student is what separates good teachers from great teachers and this is a skill which requires practice and experience.