by Glenda K. Fralin

Created on: February 04, 2008   Last Updated: June 23, 2008

Characteristics of a good teacher are not so different between cultures even if methods and interpretations are. Most cultures hold teachers to a high standard of knowledge and character. Teachers are with our children seven to eight hours per day in the U.S. They help to mold and shape character and knowledge. How many of us would place this responsibility into the hands of a perfect stranger? Yet we often do when we send our children to school.

Why would we do such a thing? We trust a system that we have been a part of. This system certifies our teachers as having met certain standards, and levels of training. We trust they are being held to a high ethic as well by our school boards or whoever governs our school systems. Have we let our expectations slide? I think in some cases we have. Most teachers are good teachers, but are they of good character?

What are the characteristics of a good teacher?

Communicates Knowledge

The teacher should have knowledge of what they are teaching and the ability to share that knowledge. The second part of that statement is the most important. Knowing is not the same as communicating knowledge effectively. Ability to gain student interest often hinges on the attitude of the teacher and their ability to communicate at a student's level.

Flexibility and Tolerance

The teacher needs flexibility in teaching style and method. No two students are the same. Not all students learn the same way or at the same pace. If a teacher doesn't develop a way to reach the single student, they are going to have difficulty teaching a group. If that sounds a little backward think about it. I used to help develop daily schedules and training plans for a group of sixteen people with special needs in an institution. There is no doubt each has a unique need in those situations. It's easy to let some needs slide. Yet, if we let an important need slide, it will affect other aspects of their development. Balance is the key, and meeting individual needs in a group is possible. I've been told it isn't, but I've proven it is.

Sense of Detachment

A teacher should never personalize a student's inability to cope in a classroom setting. By personalizing the student's problems they end up resenting the student. A teacher who resents a student has lost the priority; which is the student. The student may have learning disabilities or be extremely gifted. It is not a reflection on the teacher that these children have such challenges. It is the teacher's responsibility to

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