Think of the teachers you still remember fondly from your childhood. What set them apart from the teachers you never want to see ever again? Teaching is not an easy task and not everyone is blessed with the qualities of being a good teacher, but some basic traits are common to all good teachers.
Patience
Most good teachers have an extra ordinary reserve of patience. They can sit through silly questions, deal with uninterested students, and lack of resources. They genuinely believe that what they teach the child will make a difference to the child’s future. They seem to know that if they repeat the same lesson often enough with patience it will sink into the heads of the most obstinate learners. They do not mind repeating everything twice and will gladly help you with your work over and over again.
Actually Listen
Most adults pretend to listen to children. They will ask you a question and expect one of several stock answers. They do not take the time to actually listen to what the student is trying to say. On the other hand a good teacher will regularly get input from their students and actually listen to what they have to say. Once they understand the difficulties and problems they set about trying to solve them for their students. This is what sets them apart from other teachers.
Encouragement
Some teachers want to teach you and leave the classroom, others want to test you till you fail to give the right answer. There are very few who actually give you encouragement to face the problems by giving you possible solutions. They boost up your morale and help you build self confidence by giving you the ability to attack your problems and solve them. This gentle and continuous encouragement plays a big role in the child’s development and is reflected in his personality.
Kindness
Perhaps the most important quality of a good teacher is kindness. There is nothing quite as welcoming to a child than an adult who has their best at heart. Trust me a child can spot a fake adult a mile away, so be genuine and be kind. There is no other way to the heart of your homeschool students.
