Jeffrey,
I live your enthusiasm. Keep it going. The students will feed off of that enthusiasm.
Philip Campbell
Having the right attitude is very important.
I never had to work a day in my life. I truly love my profession. I was in the industry that I am now teaching for 35 years.
I find it very easy to bring that enthusiasm to the classroom and to motivate my class to have fun and to enjoy all aspects of the learning voyage that we are experiencing together.
Being passionate about your topic, your enthusiasm for your students and willingness to be of service to them as they learn. As my father would say, "Learn to take things seriously and not personally". He was ahead of his time.... Remember - they are changing and sometimes that brings out inappropriate behaviors-learn to manage yourself and recognize this as a learning opportunity rather than a problem.
James,
Sounds like you are on the right path. Keep up the good work and identifying opportunities for change.
Philip Campbell
Being passionate about what you teach. You must teach because of the love of teaching - not because it's a job. With this passion, the soft skills will fall into place.
Jean-Rene,
That does happen to many rookie teachers. It is good idea to assign new teachers to mentors to review things like this early on in their teaching career.
Philip Campbell
The great teachers I've observed have the ability to bridge language gaps. All too often, education today is reduced to the linear distribution of technical terms and data, often relayed in unfamiliar language. There's much more to teaching than relaying information. An effective teacher has an appreciation for his students' level of skill and vocabulary and pursues avenues to fill any gaps between those existing skills and the materials presented in each lesson.
Highly effective instructors often have high emotional intelligence. They identify their emotions and manage them. An ineffective teacher would allow their emotions or the emotions of the students get out of control.
I believe that the most important quality that sets instructors apart is the ability to relate the subject matter to the students and to develop their interest in the topic. There are many subjects that have to be taken even when students are not necessarily all that interested in the topic. It is difficult but we strive every day to gain their appreciation for the subject matter and relate it to their careers.
Highly effective instructors are flexible. Yes they have a lesson plan, but they allow the learning to evolve with active learning, engaging questions, and group discussions/interactions that may lead them temporarily from their plan in the best interest of student learning and outcomes.
An important quality is passion! If we as educators have passion for what we teach and we teach passionately, many students will also have passion for the subject. The students will know that their instructor must have a reason to be passionate about the subject and so can they. Without knowing it or without intentionally doing it, our students look up to us and we are their role models in a lot of ways.
Felicia
Cecilyn,
The fact that you love what you do will make your job easier. Sometimes it is easy to identify people who do not love what they do. To them work is a job and not a part of your life.
Philip Campbell
An instructor who has a high energy level and is enthusiastic about teaching can bring even the most bored student into the lecture. Being able to read students will guide the instructor as to whether she/he should incorporate more or less information, change the style of teaching, or add more humor.
In my opinion, your job is half of your life. I think it is very important for a person to get into a field that they enjoy and will be very passionate about. Which is why I choose to teach. I absolutely love what I do and enjoy helping students reach the goal of being a successful, productive employee. If you don't have a passion for your field I don't feel, in my opinion, you will put a 110% into that particular job. In the medical field you always have to be willing to go above and beyond the call of duty
Richard,
Being interested in the student is an important piece that can sometimes get overlooked.
Philip Campbell
William,
Doing this on a daily basis is what will keep the class interesting and the students engaged.
Philip Campbell
Having a great understanding of soft skills and how to put them into practice is what sets an effective instructor apart from one who is not. Being able to work with people is more effective in the adult classroom than is the ability to technically teach the subject with which you are teaching. More students in the adult classroom respond more to an instructor who generally is interested in the progress of the student, and can relate to them on a personal level.
Being able to judge the "tone" of the room, and make adjustments to keep the lesson effective and still interactive for the day sets great instructors apart from the others.
To show not only energy but passion for the subject and experience in those situations being presented.
I think the ability to motivate and inspire students is the most important quality that sets highly effective instructors apart.
Motivating instructors are able to inspire students to take ownership of their learning and develop a passion for the topic.
