What makes a good teacher (Essay Sample)

What Makes a Good Teacher? Name Institutional Affiliation What Makes a Good Teacher? Teachers play an integral role in the growth and development of the society. The discourse on the aspects that describe a good teacher is dynamic. They change with the change in the societal needs of education. Contemporarily, there are specific features that a teacher ought to possess to be effective in imparting knowledge in students and make them productive in the society. Being a good a teacher is not limited to the formal classification of qualifications, but a combination of both professional skills and personality traits. A good teacher is one that has mastered knowledge of the subject they teach, commands respect from students, has classroom skills, and possesses a personality trait that enables them to manage stress. Stakeholders in the education sector expect that the teaching process can effectively transfer knowledge in students. My favorite teacher in high school was Mr. Emerson Dean, the math teacher. He taught and motivated me so well that I have been able, throughout the years since I joined college, to apply the knowledge in real-life. That can only be possible if the teachers master the knowledge in the subject they teach. Community schools select graduate teachers in technical subjects such as physics because they possess knowledge on the subject. Hence, a teacher transfers the best skills in students only if they meet the academic and professional merit requirements to handle a given subject (Coe, Aloisi, Higgins, & Major, 2014). It is, therefore, not inadvertent that schools call for interviews whenever they need to fill up teaching vacancy on their staff. The role of a teacher goes beyond transferring knowledge to students. They are supposed to be role models so that they can influence them to make the right career choices. Being a role model to students depends on the respect a teacher can command from students. Students should view a teacher as being in control of the classroom as well as activities around them. Being in control of classwork or coursework involves a great deal of stress. The teacher should therefore have the personality that enables them to manage work-related stress. Work-related stressors that affect most teachers include unrealistic expectations from parents and administrators, limited resources, time demands, diverse student needs and differentiated instructions, and student behavior and attitudes (Network, 2018). A good teacher should thus apply effective coping strategies against the everyday stressors so that they do not negatively affect their effectiveness. The typical counterargument against the universal qualities of a good teacher is that the diverse teaching environments in the world demand that the qualities of a good teacher are culture-specific. While the argument makes in as far as diversity is concerned, it fails to put into consideration the idea that qualities such as mastering knowledge, emotional intelligence, and being a role model cut across all cultures (Herman & Reinke, 2014). Whether it is in a classroom in a country in South Asia, East Africa, or Alaska, a teache...