- More Good Teachers
Needed
- Rules
Without Relationships Part 4
By Barrington H. Brennen,
2014
What in the world does having more good
teachers have to do with reducing violence in our nation? Read on and see. In
this series on Rules Without Relationships, I am endeavoring to show that any
rule enforced by parents, teachers, police, or employers, without first
establishing relationships with those who are to obey those rules, breed chaos
and rebellion. In the last article, I mentioned how teachers are an important
link in the chain of development of our youth. In this article, I am presenting
some characteristics of good teachers. These are the characteristics that make a
big difference in the lives of troubled youth today, and they constitute a
pro-active approach to violence prevention.
-
 TEACHERS ALWAYS TELL THE
TRUTH
Do you realize that when most children
reach five our six and start going to school, they usually trust the teacher’s
words more than their parent’s words? Teachers are perhaps the most trusted
and believed persons in the world, especially for primary school children. It
is very difficult for a parent to contradict what a teacher has said in the
classroom. The little voices cry out every time, "my teacher said
that." If the teacher said it, then that’s law, and no one else can
change it. It is very challenging for parents to be effective when teachers,
who spend more time with children, are negative toward them. This is why
wise-thinking parents select a school depending on the quality of its teachers
and teaching environment. Teachers and what they teach must compliment what
children learn at home and not contradict it. I am certain that contradiction
is one of the contributing factors toward violence in our country today.
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD
TEACHERS
It takes a special person to be a
teacher. Teaching is like no other profession. Dr. Bob Kizlik, a specialist in
teaching development states: "As a teacher, you will wear many hats. You
will be a communicator, a disciplinarian, a conveyor of information, an
evaluator, a classroom manager, a counselor, a member of many teams and groups,
a decision-maker, a role-model, and a surrogate parent, to name but of a few of
the roles teachers assume in carrying out their duties. Each of these roles
requires practice and skills that are often not taught in teacher preparation
programs." This last sentence perhaps speaks to the idea that good
teachers are not trained, they are born. Formal training is only an enrichment
to the already natural qualities of a good teacher. Do you realize that only
parents have more roles to play in life, and that one cannot truly train to be
a good parent? By that I mean that one should not become a teacher unless
special natural qualities are present, even so a person should not become a
parent unless he or she also has these natural qualities. What are these
characteristics? Dr. Bob Kizlik states that:
Good teachers are
good at explaining things. Ask
yourself the question if you really like explaining how things work, or how
something happened? Too many teachers get annoyed when they must take time to
explain things.
Good
teachers have a sense of humor. This is
really a greatly needed tool in the classroom. Dr. Kizlik indicates that
research has consistently shown that good teachers have a sense of humor, and
they are able to use humor as part of their teaching methods. He states that
humor, used properly, can be a powerful addition to any lesson.
Good teachers like
people, especially students in
the age range in which they intend to teach. Most teachers choose an area of
specialization such as elementary education, special education, secondary
education, or higher education because they have a temperament for students in
those age ranges. If you are not comfortable working with young children,
don't major in elementary education!
Good teachers are
inherently fair-minded. They are able to assess students on the
basis of performance, not on the students' personal qualities.
Good
teachers have "common sense." It
may sound a bit corny, but good teachers are practical. They can size up a
situation quickly and make an appropriate decision. Whether managing a
classroom, leading students on a field trip, seamlessly shifting from one
instructional procedure to another, assigning detentions, supervising an
intern, or dealing with policy and curriculum issues in the school. There is
no substitute for common sense.
Good
teachers have a command of the content they teach. It is so unfortunate when someone who claims to be a teacher refuses to
be current on information shared and refuses to make the information apart of
his or her life?
Good
teachers set high expectations for their students and hold them to those
expectations. If
you are thinking about becoming a teacher, you should set high expectations
for yourself, and demand excellence not only of yourself, but of your students
also.
Good
teachers are detail oriented.
If you are a disorganized person in your private life, you will find that
teaching will probably be uncomfortable for you. At the very least, teachers
must be organized in their professional and teaching duties. If you're not
organized and are not detail oriented, teaching may not be the best choice of
a profession for you.
Good teachers
are
good managers of time. Time is one of the
most precious resources a teacher has. Good teachers have learned to use this
resource wisely.
Good teachers can
lead or follow, as the situation demands.
Sometimes, teachers must be members of committees, groups, councils, and task
forces. Having the temperament to function in these capacities is extremely
important. At other times, teachers assume leadership roles. Be sure you are
comfortable being a leader or a follower, because sooner or later, you will be
called on to function in those roles.
These are just some of the key outstanding
characteristics of a good teacher. If you do not have these qualities, then
please do not become a teacher or a parent. You might just mess up children’s
mind. If you are a current teacher, and with deep introspection admit that you
do not have these characteristics, then it might be best that you remove
yourself from the profession and choose another that best suits your
personality.
- THE TEACHER
In conclusion, teachers are emotionally
secure, confident, patient and controlled, flexible and open-minded, unselfish,
altruistic, energetic, enthusiastic, free from excessive fears and anxieties,
accepting and trusting, and possess a positive self-concept. Teachers maintain
satisfying social relationships outside of school time, like teenagers, and
treat them with respect. They study the psychology of the youthful mind, expect
a lot from their students, and encourage students to do well always.
We do need more good teachers. The old
adage says: The hands that rock the cradle rule the world." It is also true
to say that "the person who teaches well molds
character and minds for eternity." Good teachers prevent
violence.
Send your questions or comments to
Barrington H. Brennen,
question@soencouragement.org or call 1-242-327 1980, or snail mail:
P.O. Box CB-13019, Nassau, The Bahamas
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Part 1
Part 2 Part 3
Rules Part 4
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