Teacher-to-Teacher

Characteristics of great teachers

The success or failure of a school rests with the teachers who actually turn its vision into reality. Without the right kind of guidance from committed teachers, no student will reach her goals. If we were to ask a cross-section of people who have succeeded in different occupations, to name one person who set them on the path to success, most would name a teacher. Most of us have memories of at least one teacher who inspired us and made us believe in ourselves.

If you were one of the lucky ones, you may also remember a teacher who everyone in the class listened to in enthralled silence, including the rowdiest backbencher. No one ever fooled around in her class; yet this was also the class where every student took part in lively, humorous and passionate discussions. The subject she taught does not matter — the discussion may have been an analysis of the reasons for the mysterious disappearance of the Indus Valley civilization or it may have been on the beauty of the process by which nerve impulses travel in the body. Yet you developed a love for the subject that remains with you today.

You always knew where you stood in your assignments because your homework came back promptly with incisive comments. If you had done well (which was often, because you enjoyed working and researching the interesting projects she gave), she would never fail to praise you. She was a teacher who was known to be fair to all and no one was afraid to go to her for help. She would find time to listen and yet always seemed to know which excuses were genuine and which were not. She was the one who helped you realise that you were a lot smarter than you thought you were. When you left school, even though you had not seen her for years, she was the one who set you on the path that ultimately led to your success today.

This is the view of a teacher as seen through the eyes of a student. Yet, a student sees only some facets of a great teacher. She may instinctively know that there is probably much more to her as a human being and a professional than can be seen though a student’s eyes.

There are six important qualities that a teacher needs to develop: excellence in domain knowledge; knowledge about theories of cognition; a sense of adventure and courage; ability to communicate knowledge; character and integrity; passion and humour.

• Domain knowledge. A person becomes a teacher because she has some knowledge that she wishes to communicate to her students. This is her domain knowledge. Her knowledge of her subject is not just accurate and up-to-date but also interpretative.

• Cognition knowledge. Cognitive knowledge is awareness of how a student learns. A complete teacher knows how to deal with students; she can always find the right triggers that will make them focus on the tasks given to them. She helps students to learn in an interesting and joyful manner.

• Sense of adventure and courage. A great teacher is aware that life as a teacher is an adventure. Without this, no amount of paper qualifications will help her students. Every teacher needs to experience joy in her work as well as in being with students. She looks at her task of ensuring her students (with diverse abilities and needs) meet their goals as an exciting challenge.

• Communication skills. The chief task of all education is communication. Communication in education is important because education is the communication of not just ideas, but of abilities as well. A great teacher therefore, is a great communicator. She puts in a lot of effort in using correct, precise and appropriate language to communicate. She also uses non-verbal cues, visuals and technology to communicate.

• Character and integrity. A good teacher is a person of great character, integrity and strong convictions. She is honest and authentic in working with others. She consistently lives up to commitments made to students and others. She works with them in an open and forthright manner. A role model, she sets high standards for herself and her students.

• Passion and humour. The most important quality a good teacher possesses is passion — a heartfelt, deep and authentic excitement about her work. She enjoys what she does. She cares for each student and has true interest in them. There is a quote from an unknown author that says: "You cannot kindle a fire in any other heart until it is burning in your own." She loves to learn and grow and is enthusiastic and eager about her students doing the same.

In my two decades of being an educator, I have come across many great teachers who have made a crucial difference to the lives of their students. These are teachers who encourage, enlighten, inspire, raise the bar and challenge their students to reach for it. The methods of great teachers are as varied and distinctive as the teachers themselves, but the result — inspired teaching — is a gift enjoyed for a lifetime.

(Arun Kapur is director of Vasant Valley School, New Delhi. Excerpted from Transforming Schools Empowering Children (Sage 2007))