What makes a good teacher?

Jorge Castillo

Many of us have asked ourselves: What makes a good teacher? And the reality is that nobody knows what the answer is. Nevertheless, there are basic guidelines describing the qualities a good teacher must have. But aside from that, there are many interpretations of what a teacher must possess in order to be considered a good teacher.

The most important quality a good teacher must have is the ability to motivate her students to reach beyond their grasp. This is being able to teach efficiently and clear in class, but also encouraging the students to question what they're learning, to find a reasonable explanation in everything, and to develop critical thinking skills.

According to BBC News, "teachers with the highest qualifications are not automatically the "best" teachers in the classroom." This is because many teachers focus too much on the academic performance of the students (the mind) and forget about the heart. A good teacher must balance the use of mind and heart during class in order to better reach and understand his students. The teacher should include daily doses of compassion, flexibility, communication, humor, and imagination to make class more balanced and fun. The most important of all these ingredients is compassion. This aids the teacher in understanding that a student may be frustrated, angry or just unable to focus on the academics. Thus, having compassion makes the connection between teacher and student stronger.

Professor Mary James, from the Institute of Education, states that one of her top ten requirements for a good teacher was that the he or she should "promote the active engagement of the learner". She argues that if students aren't actively involved in learning, they won't learn. The main goal of a good teacher is engaging his students in learning. Self-reflection will let the teacher know if his technique is working, and if it isn't, a good teacher must modify it to better reach his students.

So what's the final verdict? Well, we all have our opinions, but perhaps a child can better explain to us what makes a good teacher:

• She smiles at me.
• She really likes me a lot.
• She misses me when I don't come in.
• I learn a lot in my class.
• It's OK, my teacher will show me how.