8 Qualities of a Good Teacher (Plus Ways to Improve)
Dasha Bunks
Liberty University
PSYC 775 - Teaching of Psychology
Dr. Winn
2022
Introduction
Teaching is one of the most fulfilling careers you can pursue. Effective teachers are
critical to the development and academic success of their students and have many skills in the
areas of communication, teamwork, time management, problem-solving and organization. If
you're considering a career in education or looking for ways to improve your teaching skills, it
can help to consider the top qualities of good teachers.
In this article, we explore the eight top qualities and skills shared by good teachers and
we offer tips on how you can develop these qualities yourself.
How can I be a good teacher?
Good teachers are life-long learners dedicated to the academic development of
students. They typically continue their own education to further develop their methods and
skills. In seeking to become a strong teacher, you should look to build and hone the following
characteristics:
1. Effective goal-setting
2. Clear communication
3. Acting as a role model
4. Adaptability and flexibility
5. Preparation
6. Self-reflection
7. Life-long learning
8. Promoting a love of learning
1. Effective goal-setting
The most effective teachers know how to set clear objectives for individual students,
single lessons, their entire class and themselves. Developing goals can assist with gauging
academic performance while giving students clear directives on how to improve. Goals are also
an important part of setting and measuring challenges, both for the students and the teacher.
You can set clear objectives with the following steps:
Check for understanding
Instead of waiting to test your students’ knowledge in a test, check for comprehension
during each lesson. This process allows you to answer student questions and provide a deeper
understanding of the topic for students.
Offer feedback
Feedback allows students to know how their performance matches up with your
expectations. Feedback that is timely, detailed and constructive can assist students in
understanding academic expectations.
2. Clear communication
Teachers use verbal and nonverbal communication skills to identify student needs and
to know when to listen versus when to talk. Teachers also use developed written
communication skills to report information to parents and other school professionals. You can
develop these skills with the following tips:
Use active listening skills
Instead of preparing how to respond, use active listening skills when communicating and
listen to understand the other person’s needs. Give yourself a few seconds after the question to
decide how to respond so that you can truly focus on what the student, parent or fellow
teacher is saying.
Ask for clarification when needed
If you do not fully understand what the other person needs, ask them to rephrase their
question or request. You can also repeat what you understood in your own words to assess
what part of their request needs more clarification.
3. Acting as a role model
Setting rules and encouraging certain behaviors is a good step toward student
development. Teachers who model the same behaviors they ask from their students are more
likely to help students cultivate desirable habits and behaviors. You can be a role model for
your students with the following tips:
Be aware of your behavior
Students observe and learn how to communicate, act, treat others and other
developmental behaviors. Modeling behaviors of patience, understanding, empathy and
communication can encourage students to develop these same skills.
Create an environment of honesty
Encourage your students to be honest with one another through mediating open
conversations. You can model honest behavior by sharing your intentions behind classroom
decisions to help students better empathize with you and your position. This step can translate
into students evaluating their own intentions and how they impact others, increasing empathy
and honesty.
4. Adaptability and flexibility
Each student comes from a unique background with individual personalities, educational
needs and developmental milestones. Teachers find that while one lesson plan or method of
teaching works well with one type of student, it does not work well with another student. Good
teachers learn how to adjust to meet the individual needs of each student. You can learn to
adjust using the following steps:
Celebrate students’ individuality
Create an environment of acceptance by encouraging creativity, freedom of thought and
questions in the classroom. Accept students where they are developmentally and academically.
When students feel comfortable and accepted, they also feel more comfortable asking
questions and learning.
Identify different learning styles
Good teachers can identify the individual learning needs of their students while also
creating lesson plans that cater to their academic styles. For example, some students may learn
best in a lecture classroom whereas other students are better able to grasp information with
hands-on learning opportunities. Consider blending methods in lessons to appeal to more
students at one time.
5. Preparation
In addition to learning to adjust to individual student needs, effective teachers also learn
to prepare for every possible scenario. Preparation can promote trust and comfort in the
classroom, and it allows teachers to create lesson plans that are catered to the individual needs
of each student. Use the following tips to become more prepared:
Create intentional lesson plans
The most effective teachers create lesson plans with intention by considering the ways
the lesson plan could shift as well as the potential emotions, thoughts and concerns that each
lesson plan could bring up with each student. Teachers can also define each lesson’s purpose to
ensure students understand why they are learning that specific topic.
Understand strengths and weaknesses
It can also be useful to create lesson plans based on the strengths and weaknesses of
each classmate. Getting to know these areas of improvement early on can assist you in creating
classroom plans that are catered to the individual needs of your students.
6. Self-reflection
Self-reflection is a person’s ability to reflect on their own needs, desires and interests
that can lead to self-acceptance as well as academic success. Teachers who are reflective of
their own strengths, weaknesses and characteristics as a teacher and are intentional about
improvement are better able to encourage the same level of self-reflection from their students.
You can encourage this in your classroom with the following tips:
Designate time
Designate a time each day to focus on self-reflection activities. Encourage students to
evaluate their own progress for the day and come up with ways they can do better tomorrow.
Promote self-evaluation with a focus on improvement by having self-reflection time after a big
test or near the end of the semester.
Offer privacy
Some students can be hesitant with self-reflection, so good teachers encourage students
to share when they are comfortable and allow them to remain private when they are not.
Journals can be a great way to encourage self-reflection without requiring students to share
their insights with the entire classroom.
7. Life-long learning
Teachers are often required to complete continuing education courses and encouraged
to pursue professional development opportunities to best serve their students. Teachers can
employ their continuing education in the following ways:
Prepare for the changing classroom
Courses in child psychology allow teachers to keep up to date as emotional
development strategies change. Technological courses help teachers make the most of the new
tools in the classroom.
Encourage personal and professional development in the classroom
Continuing education classes allow you to develop your teaching skills, which can
demonstrate to your students that you value self-improvement. You can also use the same
study techniques you teach your students to prove how impactful they can be.
8. Promoting a love of learning
Good teachers also make learning enjoyable by educating students in a way that is
engaging and appeals to students’ interests. When students enjoy learning, they are more likely
to participate in the classroom, perform better academically and value continued education.
You can instill positive feelings in your students in the following ways:
Use alternative methods of teaching
The best teachers aim to try something new to make any topic more entertaining. Turn
a lesson into a game or performance. This step can help students want to learn and even
promote creativity, critical thinking and collaboration skills they can apply outside the
classroom as well.
Ask for feedback
Good teachers ask their students for feedback to identify if students are struggling with
a specific lesson plan and the elements they like and dislike about a lesson or topic. You can
apply feedback to create a lesson plan that works for them and even come up with new areas
to explore that best engage them in the classroom.
