I’ve had a few good teachers in my life. I love them, but hate the fact that there were so few of them! Being a good teacher is one of the most inspiring things that a person can do. Good teachers invoke interest about the subject matter and make her students fall in love with learning and growing. Thus, they harvest curious and thoughtful minds.
I’ve always been inspired by these teachers whenever I found one. I would turn out to be far worse than I am now if not for them. So, I have always tried to be one. I tried to replicate their good traits in me. Thus, I formulated and tested many theories about how to be a good teacher.
There’s more, I took Barbara Oakley’s course “Learning how to learn” and ” Mindshift”. These courses have instilled in me good learning habits that I think a good teacher should teach his students.
Here are the steps towards becoming a good teacher:
Show passion:
A good teacher shows passion about what she teaches, she loves her subject and this makes learning a more fulfilling experience for the students. Students can smell from miles away whether the teacher is interested in the subject or not. The boredom of the teacher gets transferred in the students and they don’t feel like learning. But if the teacher herself loves the topic, then the students will feel pumped up when learning about the topic too.
Study well before you teach:
If you don’t know the subject well then don’t teach it. Let someone else teach it. Just like passion, students can smell lack of knowledge from miles away. It is very tedious and uninspiring to learn from someone who is nervous and can’t answer questions. Before you teach something, have a plan and study well.
Use learning tricks on students:
There are things that work and things that don’t in the study realm. The science is clear on that. Highlighting one’s book doesn’t work. Whereas recalling, testing and explaining are the best learning tricks. Let your students recall what you just taught them. Better yet, make them teach you. Teaching is one of the most effective form of learning. Test them often. Testing has been proven scientifically to increase competence over a subject.
Know their dreams:
Your students have dreams. They have come to learn from you for a specific purpose. Know that and exploit the knowledge. Not everyone is interested in learning. Some students just want to score high on tests without much efforts. Don’t bother teaching them in depth lessons. It will only make them bored. Rather teach them how to score better in the next exam and show them how today’s lesson will help them score better. Thus, they will be loyal to you and you will fulfill your purpose to them.
Train Like a dog:
Train your students like a dog! what does that mean? It’s nothing but the old formula of the psychologist Ivan Pavlov. Reward them when they show improvement. But, don’t forget to punish them when they slack off.
Remember, as a teacher you have the power to shape another human’s whole life. Encourage them and instill passion in them. May all your students be superstars in their field of work.
RaihanRiad 