While you may not campaign for Teacher of the Year, being a good educator is essential. After all, entering this profession assumes a desire to help students learn more about themselves and the world. Those just entering the teaching profession may wonder what characteristics aid in being the best teacher, whether you work with preschoolers or college students.

Here are just a few (of many) factors that contribute to being a quality educator no matter what grade level you teach.

• Open and willing to accept change. Education constantly evolves, from year to year, and sometimes minute by minute (think – fire drill in the middle of a test). The ability to expect things to change and adapt quickly can save your sanity and create a learning environment where students can succeed no matter what the circumstances.

• A good listener. When we hear what students are saying, we can better understand their needs as individuals and adjust accordingly. Sometimes the teacher is the only person a child feels comfortable talking to about school or personal issues.

• Flexible communication skills. Most educators can easily talk to students, but communication also involves effectively dealing with parents in positive and negative situations and presenting lessons in varied formats to reach all learners. Teachers should be able to use various media, from whiteboards and tablets to personal notes and pats on the back to reach the classroom and school community. 
• Commitment to self-improvement. Virtually all teachers not only value learning but enjoy it. Professional development is crucial, whether you want to brush up on your mathematics or reading skills or attend a summer in-service on computer games that increase collaborative learning.
• Enjoy your job. No job is fun 100% of the time, but educators who love teaching reflect that in their attitude. Students are more engaged with teachers who are excited to impart a new concept or project.
• Maintain a sense of humor. Sometimes things that go wrong make you want to cry, but it’s always better to laugh. Keeping a positive attitude and taking problems in stride benefits your mental health and creates a better classroom environment.

Whether you are a first-year teacher or it’s your 30th, you still can make a favorable impression on your students and positively impact their lives.

Article from the Series: Essentials for Effective New Teachers

“Development of effective teachers” has become a common goal in education—I would even say, it is a catchphrase. Internet lists of teacher qualities inspire us; merit pay motivates us; mentorships instruct us; administrators inspect and evaluate us. Responsibility for and expectations of “effectiveness” have been heaped upon us teachers.

When we turn the calendar page to June and reflect on the school year, would any of us be so bold as to say, “I was an effective teacher this year”? The ageless question haunts— “How would I even know if I had achieved this enigmatic quality of ‘effectiveness’?”

As an educator, I have wrangled with how to gauge my own effectiveness against the measuring rods of the stakeholders—the students’ expectations vs. the research.

When Pearson surveyed students ages 15-19, they found that students value a teacher’s “ability to develop relationships with their students; patient, caring and kind personality; knowledge of learners; dedication to teaching” etc. https://www.pearsoned.com/top-five-qualities-effective-teachers/ Educational research indicates that effective teachers have a broad base of knowledge, plan, communicate, measure learning, create an environment for learning, and behave as professionals. http://www.ascd.org/Publications/Books/Overview/Qualities-of-Effective-Teachers-3rd-Edition.aspx

Caring, understanding, and dedication are hard to measure; so, I’ve started looking at what I can measure.

Is it possible that the most loving, most caring thing I can do for my students is to start class on time all 180 days?

When I’ve required and evaluated weekly milestones that led up to a synthesized final project, have I demonstrated my knowledge of learners?

Does my ability to avoid getting sidetracked demonstrate that I love teaching and I love my subject matter too much to surrender my class time for an inferior cause.

Does my strict adherence to the highest standards of ethics show students the proper boundaries of the teacher/student relationship?

When I hear out my students without over talking with my agenda, have I demonstrated that communication is both speaking and listening?

I’m not sure…

Becoming “effective” can feel unattainable; however, I can start class on time; I can give assignments that set students up to succeed; I can keep class engaging and fast paced; and I can behave ethically. I can learn effective teaching practices.

When I measure my effectiveness as an educator by observable and the measurable practices, I can see where I’ve failed and where I’ve succeeded. Then, I become the learner and start working again on consistently demonstrating the teaching practices that work.