Important attributes of an effective teacher
The art of good teaching involves inviting and retaining the interest of students in a manner that the subject taught to the student is not forgotten until death. Powerful and good teaching is becoming increasingly important in the current society because of the increasingly rising standards of learning which are now higher than they have ever been before. Effective teachers are those who have an influential impact on learning and achievement in students (Corbett & Wilson pg. 18). Good teachers have the ability to engage students so that they learn and retain their knowledge and are willing to help and assist students (Corbett & Wilson pg. 20). Teachers vary their classroom activities and ensure that all students understand the course material (Corbett & Wilson pg. 20).
Effective teachers also need to consider social, cultural and language differences among students of a class in addition to the individual distinctions in students with regard to temperaments, interests and approaches to learning. Good teachers must keep what is best for the child at the center of their decision making and realize that the teacher’s actions and strategies have profound implications for what happens to and for many children in school. In order to be a really good teacher, teachers should treat students with fairness, openness, intelligence or respect and work with them to address their personal concerns and develop healthy self concepts. Among other characteristics which good teachers should possess are the control of the teacher over her student and the classroom without having to raise her voice. Fairness and impartiality in class have also been found as vital aspects of the teacher’s personality.
Three challenges teachers face in the classroom when striving to meet diversity needs
Teachers could face challenges in the classroom due to diversity if individuals and cultural differences. Linguistic differences could also pose considerable problems for teachers. Students in a classroom could display certain problem behaviors like learning disabilities and other violent behaviors towards other children. Classroom and other behavioral problems can be addressed by involving parents and sometimes friends to correct a certain behavior of a child.
Attitudes a teacher must possess and what strategies might be employed to meet these challenges.
Teachers have a primary influence on students, and yield a strong power over them, with their distinctive teaching styles, attitudes and behaviors. Different people have different perceptions about good teachers and while some may prefer professionalism, others may prefer sensitivity and understanding towards students. The primary reason why I want to be a teacher is to teach because I firmly believe that I have the necessary qualities of being a good teacher. I believe myself to be skilled and organized and have a strong philosophy with great communication skills, in addition to a moral disposition.
Teachers could devise strategies to resolve problem behaviors by trying to gauge the root cause of the problem as students sometimes engage in problem behaviors to attract attention in class. Teachers could also approach students privately and point to the interference caused due to the behavior. In some cases, the behavior can be effectively altered by rewarding the student for those behaviors which are acceptable so that the student takes pride and makes an effort to avoid the unacceptable or problem behaviors.
Works Cited
Corbett, Dick & Wilson, Bruce. “What urban students say about good teaching.” Educational Leadership, 60, 18-22. 2002.