5 Essential Skills and Qualities Every Teacher Needs

31 December 2020

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Introduction

Teaching is a profession that requires a host of different skills. Making use of effective teaching skills can have a lasting impact on the lives of children. By adopting good teaching skills, every teacher can make a difference in their little way.

The art of teaching is not just about having immense knowledge in your area of expertise, but also about possessing certain personal skills that inspire and influence the lives of students. Mastering certain specialized teaching skills has long-standing impacts. It indicates that half the battle is won. You are now not only an effective teacher but also extremely successful at your job.

Read on further to learn about the following effective teaching skills that you can foster to excel in your career. 

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Patience 

• Let’s face it, it is not a piece of cake to manage a classroom full of children. There are plenty of students out there to test your tolerance at the drop of a hat and so patience is key to master when dealing with children.
   
• As a teacher you will have to juggle a number of tasks at one time, from planning lessons to exciting classroom activities, patience would be your greatest virtue.
   
• A classroom full of agitated children can very well remind you of the importance of teaching skills.
   
• There will be times when certain students might not be on their best behavior, and in such a case to avoid conflicts, a teacher needs to be understanding and deal with the situation wisely and with utmost patience.
   
• Students also might come up with the issue of not being able to understand what is being taught with clarity. In such a case, you must find alternative ways to explain to your pupils the concepts they find difficult and must patiently accept and deal with their feedback.
   
• After all, a teacher has all the power to nurture young minds to achieve greatness but it can’t be done without a little love, understanding, and care.

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Creativity

• Being a teacher might have a very rewarding career path but the job also comes with its own set of challenges.
   
• Day in and day out a teacher has to cross paths with students who have different and at times conflicting attitudes towards learning.
   
• So how do you keep up with all this? Can a teacher just quit and simply give in to the situation? That’s where the creativity comes in.
   
• When dealing with kids and teenagers, especially children in primary school, a teacher needs to devise new and creative ways to keep the class engaged.
   
• The attention span of students has been deteriorating over the years and only by adapting the essential skill of creativity can a teacher motivate students to develop a keen interest in learning.
   
• Try to make educational content interesting by making use of interesting facts and stories. Start incorporating audio-visual tools in your classroom to keep the attention levels of your students high at all times.

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Communication and Collaboration

• Wondering if you should have learned the importance of teaching skills sooner? Well, the process of teaching and learning is a two-way street. It works on consensus and not by a dictatorship.
   
• Being a teacher will put your communication skills to the test almost on a daily basis.
   
• Based on how your students react to your teaching methods and approach you will get a fair idea about what changes you need to incorporate in your teaching practices to ensure what’s being taught in a class adds value to the lives of your students.
   
• To achieve this it is an absolute must to possess strong oratory skills and has an excellent understanding of the subject matter.
   
• Merely possessing a diverse amount of knowledge and facts are not the only teaching skills you should possess. You need to foster open communication and dialogue with your students to ensure that you both are always on the same page.
   
• Also, try to interact with parents on a weekly basis to address their doubts and concerns and make clear to them what is expected out of a particular student.

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Likable Personality

• Be honest with this one, would you like to see a grumpy face for 9 hours every day, from Monday to Friday, just throwing around facts and addressing the class with just the most horrible of moods? We guess not!
   
• Having a likable personality is a vital skill to have. Teaching as a profession can’t sustain if the attitude of the teacher is to dictate and depress.
   
• Having a likable personality improves the student-teacher relationship to a great extent. It demonstrates the professional skills of a teacher.
   
• Depending on how approachable you present yourself to be, you will not only warm up your students to get up and get involved in the lesson but also make the learning process fun for all! 
   
• Students look up to teachers who are warm and understanding as it helps them build healthy social and emotional skills.
   
• By being a friendly teacher, you will not only be able to create a positive atmosphere for learning but also bond with your students and help them bond amongst themselves. It’s a win-win!

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Self-Discipline

• Discipline is not just about manning the classroom and maintaining decorum. It is a valuable life skill that you can impart to your students and it will work wonders for them later down the line.
   
• And to do that, you must do “serious trousers” every once in a while. Most of the time students tend to listen to an assertive figure of authority and not a condescending one.
   
• The children must be in control of their behavior at all times to ensure effective classroom management. And how can children learn that? 
   
• To teach children to adopt an attitude of discipline, you have to set a healthy routine in place for the whole class. Make students aware of all the targets that are to be achieved at the start of the week and reward them with fun activities every once in a while.
   
• Troublesome students who don’t adhere to the rules must be dealt with separately. If they do not work according to the system set in place by you, you must consider counseling or interacting with their parents to learn more about their behavior and figure out alternative solutions to the problem.

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Conclusion 

As you must have figured out by now, teaching is not a piece of cake. But it is also not a herculean task that you just can’t get by with.

To teach is to impart life skills and add value to the lives of students. Teaching comes naturally to some people while some have to work hard to earn the status of a “great teacher”. Learning the above teaching skills can not only help you excel at work but also foster a healthy relationship with your pupils.

These are the professional skills of a teacher that will help you go a long way in your career and help nourish many young lives.

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