Good teachers make their lessons interesting, have a strong personality, are knowledgeable about their subject, and act as entertainers in a positive way. They care deeply about their students' learning and have strong relationships with their students. Good teachers maximize the amount of time students spend talking in class and minimize their own talking time. They provide clear, logical instructions to students and check for understanding. While planning is important, good teachers are also flexible and able to respond to the dynamics in the classroom.

1. HOW TO BE A GOOD TEACHER?
JEREMY HARMER
PRACTICE II, DIDACTICS OF ELT and practicum primary school level
Monge, Valentina
Morán, Ana

2. WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEACHER?
● “They should make their lessons interesting (...)”
● “A teacher must love her job (...)”
● “I like the teacher who has his own personality (...)”
● “I like a teacher who has lots of knowledge (...)”
● “A good teacher is an entertainer and I mean that in
a positive way (...)”

3. WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEACHER?
The character and personality of the
teacher is a crucial issue in the
classroom.

4. The relationship between the teacher and the
students
● “It’s important that you can talk with the teacher (...)”
● “A good teacher is someone who has an affinity with the students that they
are teaching”
● “A good teacher should try and draw out the quiet ones and control the more
talkative ones”

5. The relationship between the teacher and the
students
● “He should be able to correct people without offending them”
● “A good teacher is someone who helps rather than shouts”
● “A good teacher is someone who knows our names”

6. WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEACHER?
Good teachers care more about their
students’ learning than they do
about their own teaching.

7. HOW SHOULD TEACHERS TALK TO STUDENTS?
Teachers have the subconscious
ability to rough-tune the language.

8. HOW SHOULD TEACHERS TALK TO STUDENTS?
Experienced teachers
● rough-tune the way they speak
to students as a matter of
course
● use physical movements
Newer teachers
● need to concentrate their focus
on their student’s
comprehension as the yardstick
by which to measure their own
speaking style in the classroom.

9. HOW SHOULD TEACHERS GIVE INSTRUCTIONS?
●They must be kept as simple as
possible.
●They must be logical.
There are two general rules
for giving instructions

10. HOW SHOULD TEACHERS GIVE INSTRUCTIONS?
Before giving instructions, teachers may ask themselves:
●What is the important information I am trying to convey?
●What must the students know if they are to complete this activity successfully?
●Which information do the need first?
●Which should come next?

11. HOW SHOULD TEACHERS GIVE INSTRUCTIONS?
It is important for teachers to check
that the students have understood
what they are being
asked to do.

12. HOW SHOULD TEACHERS GIVE INSTRUCTIONS?
This can be achieved either by:
●Asking students to explain the activity after the teacher has given the
instruction.
●Getting someone to show the other people in the class how the exercise works.

13. WHO SHOULD TALK IN CLASS?
A good teacher
maximises STT (students talking time)
and minimises TTT (teachers talking time)
TTT  Comprehensible input  Language acquisition

14. WHAT ARE THE BEST KINDS OF LESSON?
“Both for the teacher’s sanity
and the student’s continuing involvement,
teachers need to violate their own behavior patterns”
Breaking rules, John Fanselow

15. WHAT ARE THE BEST KINDS OF LESSON?
However, students tend to like
a certain amount of predictability:
They appreciate a safe structure which they can rely on.

16. WHAT ARE THE BEST KINDS OF LESSON?
Good teachers find a balance
between predictable safety and
unexpected variety.

17. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO FOLLOW A PRE-
ARRANGED PLAN?
It is one thing to plan lessons
which will have variety but
being flexible when the class
is actually taking place
is another matter altogether.

18. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO FOLLOW A PRE-
ARRANGED PLAN?
●Teachers
attempting to achieve
what they set out to achieve.
Once again, a balance has to be stuck between:
●Teachers
responding to what students
are saying or doing.

19. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO FOLLOW A PRE-
ARRANGED PLAN?
Good teachers
are flexible.

20. CONCLUSION
In this chapter we have:
●Described some of the qualities which good teachers possess.
●Investigated the kind of language teachers use with students.
●Discussed the relative merits of STT and TTT.
●Stressed the need for variety within a secure setting.
●Concentrated on the teacher’s ability to respond flexibily to
what happens in class.