Before I started teaching my class at BIM, Trichy, I asked my students to write down the qualities they liked in a good teacher. Its a great list to aspire towards. I’m sharing the list here for the benefit of anyone interested in teaching.
- A teacher who treats students as soon-to-be-managers and not as kids.
- Encouraging the students to actively participate in the class.
- Teaching with future career of the students in mind rather than just blindly following the syllabus.
- Using simple, easily understandable language while teaching.
- Less lecturing and more hands-on exercises.
- Dicarding old methods of teaching and using new methodologies.
- Teachers who have practical consulting experience make better teachers.
- Allowing students to go away from the topic if it takes them to explore new grounds.
- A good story-teller.
- Giving good examples to explain a complex subject.
- Being very enthusiastic in teaching.
- Gives attention to students ( even to the last benchers)
- Making every class a unique learning experience.
- Empathizing with the students.
- Having a casual attitude and not being formal with the students.
- Having neutral attitute towards all students and not showing any favoritism.
- Having positive engergy and being a good motivator.
- Giving lots of examples for a topic.
- Being the kind of teacher whose classes the students would LOVE to attend and never bunk.
- Being very approachable.
- Encouraging the students by removing the fear of failure.
- Very jovial and fun filled sessions.
- A teacher who has radical ways of teaching.
- Having excellent communications skills.
- Giving sufficient breaks in-between classes.
- A teacher who follows a “Why? Why Not?” kind of approache instead of stating mere facts.
- One who avoids using jargons.
- Honest and transparent. If a teacher does not have an answer, he should accept so instead of bullshitting.
- Proving constructive comments to improve.
- Adherence to deadline and giving the right assignments.
- Punctual person. Prefer a teacher who arrives to the class before the students.
- A teacher who the students respects and not one who demands respect.
- Involve everyone in the discussion and not just the few enthsiastic bunch.
- One who jokes a lot and makes us smile.
- Giving reference links for further reading.
- Structured flow that is visible.
- Being a good mentor than a teacher.