my ideal teacher

My Ideal Teacher

When I think about teachers that I have had in the past, several different ones come to my mind. Each of these educators stands out in my mind for a variety of diverse reasons. Whether it is their sense of humor, their tactfulness, their love of the subject matter, their fanatical and sporadic behavior, or their yearning to be childish themselves, I can still remember at least one quality of every teacher I have ever encountered. Every oone of these teachers conveyed subject material to their students just as they were educated and employed to do. However, I trust that every professional in the world has an abundance of opportunity for improvement; teachers could discover and improve themselves merely by having an open mind and observing one another. If I could construct the “ideal” teacher for me, I would only have to focus on three main aspects of the individual. These three qualities would be conducting a ffun and interesting class, having organization and genuine comprehension of subject material, and developing a need to accept and have a constructive relationship with all students.

Because of the most recent technology children today expect to be entertained by ssome other means than “twiddling their thumbs”. This need is not only present in the home setting; it is everywhere they go, including school. Therefore, teachers today have to make learning more enjoyable than it ever has been. Students are aware that at school they have strict rules to follow and expectations from their teachers. However, school can be fun if the teachers make it that way. There are numerous ways that a teacher can accomplish this. For example, a teacher could do something as simple as having a “joke of the day” that the students can expect to hear when they come into the class. By incorporating something this small into the classroom the teacher immediately breaks the ice aand gains the students’ interest. I had a teacher in high school that began each class with a funny story or a random fact. We, as students, looked forward to attending to his classes just to know what he had brought for us that day. He was a stern teacher, but everyone appreciated him because he showed an interest in us enjoying his classes.

An additional way that educators can make the class stimulating while maintaining student interest is to iinclude voice fluctuations and floor coverage in their lectures. We have all experienced those teachers who never change their voice or their position on the floor during the course of an hour. These monotone voices and stand still positions are almost hypnotizing; students get sluggish and drop curiosity fast. My ideal teacher would use their voice to expand and carry on the students’ attention for the whole hour.

Using voice to emphasize an important point or even an incident that is being discussed can be very valuable in creating excitement for the students. When a teacher moves about the room, one will notice that the students will focus on the teacher and their eyes will follow. Simply moving their eyes to follow the teacher’s pattern of movements can be effective in keeping the student’s attention. A teacher could even reenact or act out using body actions for various topics. This would make the students chuckle and assure the teacher that the students are paying attention. Of course a teacher has to have well rounded knowledge of the topic to use these methods effectively.

Everyone assumes teachers have the intelligence and organization to teach in a classroom setting. This is nnot always the situation; I have learned this first hand. I have had teachers throughout my education in which I thought I could have taught the group better than they. The word intelligence carries a lot of power with it. I feel that a teacher gains or loses the respect from their students based on the means they present the knowledge they hold.

If a teacher appears to question their own knowledge of the subject, how are the students to perceive this? I have been in classes where the teacher has taken ten minutes of time out to look over bits and pieces that they have forgotten. Now I know that it is human nature to forget things; there is no way anyone can remember everything they have learned in their life. However, a teacher should be dependable enough to “brush up” on the background knowledge before attempting to teach a lesson. When something like this occurs and the teacher has to take time out of the class to review themselves, the students will start to whisper amongst each other. “He doesn’t know what he’s doing.”, or “Shouldn’t he know this by now.” are statements the students will begin to mmutter while waiting for class to start back up again. This is an embarrassment for the teacher and the school, in my opinion.

My ideal teacher would present every class in an organized, knowledgeable, and confident manner. It is only in this way that students can achieve the most out of their education. Every teacher should have attained the knowledge, even if it was the previous night, of what they are teaching before they attempt to teach it. Only in this way will they be capable to communicate the material and have the ability to respond to questions presented by the students. Having the ability to answer a student’s questions promptly and properly is an optimistic way to begin wonderful relationships with students.

Students are in school for about eight hours a day without their parents. Therefore, teachers should have the desire to develop and maintain positive relationships with each student. If a student has a crisis at school and needs guidance, information, or assistance the classroom teacher should be prepared and available to assist in the issue. This is how my ideal teacher would be anyhow. Students need a support system outside of the home, and since one-third

of their day is spent in the school system shouldn’t they have that support there? The perfect teacher would manage their classroom in such a way that the students know who is in charge, but the students would still have admiration for that teacher.

My “ideal” educator would be approachable, encouraging, and caring to their students. It is in this way teacher-student relationships would be created. Students want to feel as though they are liked by their teachers. Therefore, tteachers need to be understanding and helpful to students in all situations. Sometimes this is difficult for a teacher to do, especially when the student involved is a disruptive one. However, once that positive relationship is formed by both the teacher and the student, nothing is unattainable. Those teachers who have excellent, positive relationships with each student always seem to have the finest results when it comes to student performance in the classroom. Building relationships with students can be difficult eespecially with a few students, but this is a prerequisite when it comes to being an effective and successful teacher.

For example, there are still a few teachers from high school that still maintain contact with me. One does tthis through email, others by letters and cards, and one even keeps in touch by phone. This is because they have revealed an interest in me and my education, and they want to be familiar with how things are going for me and what my major is from week to week. They gained my respect in high school, and I, in turn, gave them respect. These are the teachers that I will never forget because they will never let me forget. I think that all students should experience some teachers like I have.

In conclusion, in the “real” world some students will graduate from college, some students will be teachers, some teachers will just teach, and some teachers will tteach with love. I want to be that teacher. The one that teaches with love and passion for what I am doing. This is why I have taken into account every teacher that I have ever encountered and created my “ideal” teacher; the teacher who is exciting, knowledgeable, and friendly. It is those teachers that I will remember indefinitely and with distinction, and this is also how I intend to be remembered by my students.