Characteristics of a Good Teacher.

1. CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD TEACHER
BY
MONOJIT GOPE
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
KABI JOYDEB MAHAVIDYALAYA

2. CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD TEACHER
1. Mastery Over the Content:-Mastery over the content is an essential characteristic for becoming an effective teacher. In other words, unless one has
mastery over content of a subject or discipline one cannot become an effective teacher. If one lacks competence in the discipline, he or she cannot face
students with confidence and motivate them to learn the required concepts, skills and attitudes. Therefore, basic knowledge base is pre-requisite for
effective teaching. Content mastery can be achieved through various ways as reading books, magazines, periodicals, journals, newspapers, dictionaries,
encyclopedias, attending seminars, workshops, symposia, conferences, public meetings, discussing with colleagues, experts, authorities, professionals,
observing the happenings in and around the environment and a curiosity to learn.
2. A Flair for Keeping Abreast of Latest Knowledge in Every Field of Human Activities: In the scenario of explosion of knowledge in every field,
it is quite essential on the part of a teacher to remain in touch with the latest trends, ideas, practices and thoughts in various fields. Unless the teacher
continuously learns himself, he cannot be a good and effective teacher. He/she cannot pay due justice to his/her duties and responsibilities, if he/she
does not up-to-date his/her knowledge in the context of rapid changes in every stream of learning and thought. Hence, it is not out of place to quote the
famous words of Viswakabi and Nobel laureate Rabindra Nath Tagore, “A lamp can never light another lamp, unless it continues to burn its own
flame. A teacher can never truly teach, unless he is still learning in himself”.

3. CONTINUE…….
3. Knowledge of Instructional Skills:- Knowledge of a set of skills is essential for facilitating teaching-learning process.
Instructional skill is defined as the cluster of behaviour shown by a teacher which can be acquired through continuous
practice.
The skills which help a teacher to carry out his/her instructional process consist of the following:
(a) Introducing a lesson (b) Questioning.
(c) Probing (d) Providing reinforcement
(e) Explaining (f) Illustrating with examples.
(g) Using audio-visual aids (h) Using blackboard
(i) Recognizing attending behaviour of students. j) Silence and non-verbal clues.
(k) Stimulus variation (l) Achieving closure

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4. Other Professional Skills: Certain amount of other professional skills is essential such as planning, preparation, behaviour interventions and instruction. A
teacher needs to be an effective planner taking account of needs of the students, available resources of the institution and time. Planning is followed by adequate
preparation taking time, resources and objectives to be achieved.
5. Interpersonal Skills: Another important characteristic of an effective teacher is interpersonal skills i.e. ability to communicate with the students clearly and
precisely, to identify students’ concerns and needs, to respond to students with an open and stable attitude, to appreciate and acknowledge the efforts of students,
to accept each student as a distinct individual, to demonstrate self-confidence in dealing with them and to interact with them in ways that are adaptable.
6. Organization Competency: A teacher should have organizational competency to manage the material resources available in the class-room in an effective
way. As a manager in the class, he/she controls the class in an effective manner to ascertain effective learning.
7. Diagnostic and Evaluative Skills: A teacher should possess certain amount of diagnostic and evaluative skills. The teacher should have the competency to
gather data related to student behaviour and to analyze student misbehavior in a class-room in the light of probable causes. He/she has to probe the case history
for identification of behavioural characteristics.

5. CONTINUE…….
8. Motivational Skill: Another professional competency of a teacher is the ability to inspire and motivate his/her pupils. She/he should have flair for
motivating pupils towards intellectual growth. Instead of harping on criticizing the student’s mistakes, the teacher should show them right path to learn
effectively.
9. Job Satisfaction: Research works on job satisfaction of teacher’s reveal the stark reality that there is inevitably a direct and positive relation
between job satisfaction and effectiveness of teacher. In other words, it is his/her earnest involvement in the job that determines his satisfaction in the
job.
10. Repertoire or Repository of Values: An effective teacher is a store-house of all eternal values-honesty, truthfulness, loyalty, punctuality,
politeness, cleanliness, dedication, affection etc. He/she influences the behaviour of pupils by his/her own illumination. He/she is a light who kindles
other lights. A student imbibes all values and virtues through observation and imitation of his or her own teacher’s behaviour.
11. Empathy: An effective teacher needs to possess a great virtue i.e. empathy. It is a feeling that one is virtually concerned with other needs and
feelings. This quality enables a teacher to understand his/her pupils better both emotionally and intellectually. It enables a teacher to be judicious,
impartial and objective. It prompts a teacher to avoid stereotyping and prejudices and to treat all pupils with equanimity without any differences.

6. CONTINUE…….
12. Concern and Commitment: Genuine concern and commitment to the tasks are other qualities which need to be
reflected in the teacher. The teacher should be dedicated and concerned about the development of pupils like their parents.
He/she should stand as a parent figure.
13. Sense of Humors: It is an essential trait which a teacher should possess. It breaks the monotony of the class and makes
teaching an interesting affair. A joke here or a witty utterance there can make pupils happy and active. It can arouse laughter
on the lips of students which could make their minds lighter and relaxed. Without an element of humors, teaching could be
uninteresting.

7. CONTINUE……
S.S. Krishnan and M.A. Nightinga (1994) have succinctly outlined the characteristics of an Effective teacher which are as
follows:
(a) He can teach using different methods of teaching, employing a plethora of audio-visual aids,
(b) He should have developed morality, (c) Have intellectual depth,
(d) Have a sense of humors, (e) A man of all-round and balanced personality,
(f) Should be confident and at ease while teaching, (g) Should have amicable relation with pupils,
(h) Should manage the class efficiently, (i) He should plan the lessons properly,
(j) He should explain points lucidly, (k) Make lessons interesting,
(m) He should be creative, constructive, resourceful, innovative and co-operative,
(n) He should be flexible, alert and democratic in nature,
(o) Should be a good presentation and a vivid narrator,
(p) And he should pay attention to revision and examination reforms.

8. THANK YOU