When being asked what qualities does a great Teacher have, you will get dozens of answers. There are many qualities that make up a great teacher. It also matters whom you are asking the question to. Students would probably say a great teacher does not hand out a lot of homework. Parents might say a caring teacher that spends extra time with their children has qualities that make them great. Still, if you ask a teacher what makes the perfect educator, they might use all their years of experience to create answers from. Below is a list of the most common qualities that will lead a teacher into greatness.

Keeping a Sense of Humor

I’m not sure if they still offer this advice in college to future teachers, but I was told not to smile or joke around with my students until the second half of the school year. Professors would tell all of us this because, presumably, if you had fun with your students, they figured they would eventually take advantage of you. Quite a few teachers are proud of being a bit angry and tough on their students. They wear it like a badge of accomplishment.

However, real life is a lot like a classroom. If someone is serious and grimacing all the time in his life, you don’t like being around them. This is why a teacher with an easy smile and a good sense of humor can go far in education. They still have to determine a suitable way to discipline the students, but a good educator will find what works best for them. Educators are meant to be role models for the students, so be a role model that doesn’t act angry at the world.

Offer a 21st Century Education

Teachers that still rely on paper mache for projects are doing a disservice to their students. While paper mache can be a fun art project, it really isn’t a requirement that kids learn it. Everything has to be put into perspective. Would students be better off creating a PowerPoint presentation about the solar system or making a paper mache globe pinata? While the pinata might be a lot of fun at parties, using 21st century technology in the classroom is probably for the best. Students love learning about computers and new technology. Study up on it a bit and offer it to them in your lessons. Educators that are set in their ways year after year are not helping their students grow. Lesson plans from 20 years ago are probably not as relevant as lesson plans that have been updated in the last year or two to incorporate computers in the learning process.

Being Kind

The old saying goes that someone may not remember what you said in the past, but they will always recall how you made them feel. This goes for kindness and meanness. It works both ways. If you are kind to your students and try to identify with them, they will remember this for a lifetime. My elderly father just the other day was speaking about teachers that he had back in elementary school. He recalled almost all of their names and how they made him feel. Hopefully, when your students are older and reminiscing, they will tell others about the kindness and the fairness you showed them.

Encouragement

All teachers expect the best out of their students. The great teachers provide the encouragement needed for them to achieve their bests. Sometimes it is done through a friendly pep talk. Other times it is accomplished by a stern lecture about not settling for less. Expecting the best and encouraging the best are two different things. One takes an active educator, and the other is a hopeful educator. Great teachers are active teachers that hold students accountable for their work.

Differentiates Teaching Style

Educators that teach straight out of the textbook and stand still at the podium as they lecture to the class are a dying breed. And for good reason. There is no quicker way to lose your audience than teaching out of the textbook without deviating from it. A person who teaches this way is not an educator. They merely are a reader for the class. Textbooks should be viewed as supplemental material, not as the be all and end all of learning in the classroom. Students learn in different ways. Some learn best by reading, some by video, some by lecture, some by group learning, some by discussion, and others through technology. It is up to the teacher to present these separate learning styles into one classroom. A great teacher will teach to the student’s strengths, while improving their weaknesses at the same time.