The Qualities of a good teacher
The Qualities of a good teacher:
First, and most necessary of all he must know the subject. He must know what he teaches. This sounds obvious, yet it is not always practised. It means that if his job is teaching Chemistry, he must know Chemistry. It is not enough for a Chemistry teacher to know the exact amount of chemistry which is taught in schools and required for final examinations. He must understand the science of chemistry. It is upper regions that must be clear to him at least in outline; and he should know what are the most important new discoveries made every year. If a boy shows a gift for chemistry, the teacher must be able to encourage him, by throwing open window after window into the future, showing him what he can learn at the university. What types of chemistry are most vital in peace and war, which big problems still remain to be solved, and (this is always important) how the great chemists of the past and present have lived and worked.
Therefore teaching is inseparable from learning. Every good teacher will learn more about his subject every year, every month, every week if possible).
If you choose the career of teaching English in school, you should dedicate part of your life to English language, to the art, history and civilization of England. You will build up a growing library of your own English books. You have to keep up to date with the latest Publications. That means you must continue to learn your subject.
Second you must like your subject. If you do enjoy the subject, it will be easy to teach even when you are tired.
You must like the pupils. If you don’t actually like boys and girls, give up teaching. (There are classes that can’t be liked.) You should think of them as the doctor thinks of patients.
You must know the names and faces of your pupils. If you wish to influence them in any way, you must convince them that you know them as individuals. The first step towards this is memorizing their faces and their names.
The good teacher is a man of exceptionally wide and lively intellectual interests. “Do not live for the school.”
Humour is one of the most important qualities of a good teacher. It keeps the pupils alive and attentive.
The Qualities of a good teacher:
First, and most necessary of all he must know the subject. He must know what he teaches. This sounds obvious, yet it is not always practised. It means that if his job is teaching Chemistry, he must know Chemistry. It is not enough for a Chemistry teacher to know the exact amount of chemistry which is taught in schools and required for final examinations. He must understand the science of chemistry. It is upper regions that must be clear to him at least in outline; and he should know what are the most important new discoveries made every year. If a boy shows a gift for chemistry, the teacher must be able to encourage him, by throwing open window after window into the future, showing him what he can learn at the university. What types of chemistry are most vital in peace and war, which big problems still remain to be solved, and (this is always important) how the great chemists of the past and present have lived and worked.
Therefore teaching is inseparable from learning. Every good teacher will learn more about his subject every year, every month, every week if possible).
If you choose the career of teaching English in school, you should dedicate part of your life to English language, to the art, history and civilization of England. You will build up a growing library of your own English books. You have to keep up to date with the latest Publications. That means you must continue to learn your subject.
Second you must like your subject. If you do enjoy the subject, it will be easy to teach even when you are tired.
You must like the pupils. If you don’t actually like boys and girls, give up teaching. (There are classes that can’t be liked.) You should think of them as the doctor thinks of patients.
You must know the names and faces of your pupils. If you wish to influence them in any way, you must convince them that you know them as individuals. The first step towards this is memorizing their faces and their names.
The good teacher is a man of exceptionally wide and lively intellectual interests. “Do not live for the school.”
Humour is one of the most important qualities of a good teacher. It keeps the pupils alive and attentive.
