Good Essay About The Definition Of A Good Teacher

What makes a good teacher? There are many qualities that can be attributed to this. Obviously a teacher who teaches valid information to students is a necessary characteristic. However, this is not the only thing that makes a teacher decent. Good teachers go above and beyond for their students; they do not only teach a list of facts. They push their students and encourage them to never give up no matter how difficult learning may seem. Most importantly, no matter how poorly they are treated by the school system itself, good teachers always remember that they are there for the children. These are the properties that define a good teacher.
Good teachers do need to have the necessary skills to teach their classes state mandated information. This information will be on tests that are necessary for the schools to receive funding and the funding is dependent on the student’s scores. If the school loses funding the teacher may lose his or her job or the student’s may suffer. Therefore it is necessary for a good teacher to care about students learning the necessary information. Conversely, if the teacher only focuses on the state authorized information, without any attention to the students learning style or outside information, this makes them a bad teacher. There is any entire world of knowledge outside of the information authorized by the state; good teachers incorporate this information into their lessons. Bad teachers stick strictly to course work provided to help students pass tests while good teachers use these materials while also doling out extra information that may help the student later or may be incorporated into other lessons. Teachers do not just have to be instructors of school; they can be instructors of life.
Not every student is able to pick up on concepts, ideas, or information as easily as others. Certain students may require more help and, in the process of struggling to learn, they may become very frustrated and want to give up. Bad teachers will let them. Bad teachers will allow them to give up and take the easier route, teaching the fast learners who pick up concepts quickly. Good teachers will not allow this to happen. A good teacher will teach all of his or her students with the same passion and energy. Students who are struggling will be encouraged, day in and day out, by good teachers. If a student feels like he or she is just not grasping a concept, and gives up entirely, a good teacher will find a new way to teach that student the information because, by definition, good teachers know that not all students learn the same. They will search for different strategies to deliver the information in an effort to allow the student a fair chance at understanding the information. A good teacher will find a way to relate the information to the student in a way that they can apply to their life. This can make grasping concepts easier for them. A good teacher will also try to inspire their students, whether they are struggling or not. Students need inspiration and motivation in order to find a desire to learn. Good teachers know how to light a fire under their students and show them that learning can be fun and worth their time. This motivation and inspiration is a very important aspect of teaching because it can potentially last the rest of the child’s life, encouraging them to seek out information on their own or continue their education after high school.
With the state of the education system the way that it is, it can be difficult to remember why one entered the education field. There are constant headlines about cutbacks, defunding, restructuring, poor test scores, and the list continues. Bad teachers allow themselves to be bogged down by these negative headlines. They feed into it and start to believe that their lives, and the young lives they are shaping, are meaningless. They forget why they became teachers. Good teachers read these headlines with defiance and loudly proclaim, “No! Not my students!” Good teachers will always remember, no matter how difficult the education system tries to make their job that they are there for the children. Not only will they always remember that they are there for the children and nothing else, but they will remember that they entered the education system to change it. They may only change one thing and it may be so small that only their school feels the impact of it but they will retire knowing that they did something that mattered to their students.
In conclusion, there are many things that make up a good teacher. Rather than just teaching a list of facts in order to prepare their students for a test, good teachers will teach their students all there is to know about a subject. They will attempt to inspire students to learn on their own. Good teachers will push students when they feel hopeless, and motivate them to push themselves because they know that any student can learn anything if they try hard enough. Most importantly, good teachers will always remember that they became teachers to teach, to shape young minds, and to stand up for their students when the state tries to mandate what students should and should not be learning. I think we can all agree that the world needs more good teachers.