Series VIII-Part I- Positive Teacher Characteristics

How Teacher Personality and Style Affects

the Growth of Self Confidence

Part I – Positive Teaching Characteristics

GENUINENESS

This quality is exhibited by teachers who:

Create a student-centered classroom environment
Go beyond what is expected of them to promote student’ well being
Are easily approachable
Are honest and up-front with students
Follow through on what they say
Are consistent in their methods
Are not fake or hypocritical

FAIRNESS

Teachers with this quality:

Can admit to making a mistake
Give assignments that take into account student’ needs and levels of ability
Give assignments that are reasonable in length with the main goal being feelings of success and accomplishment
Give tests that stick to what has been taught
Take a commonsense approach to grading homework and essays
Give helpful comments for improvement
Give students advance notice of quizzes and tests
Do not seek to “get” children by giving unfairly difficult assignments and tests

ORGANIZATION

Teachers who have this characteristic will:

Maintain order and routine in their classroom
Provide students with structure and logical rules that apply equally to all
Teach student to organize their materials, desks and lockers
Have well-planned lessons with logical presentations and relevant follow-up assignments
Hand back tests, essays, and classwork in a reasonable amount of time

LOGIC AND COMMON SENSE

This quality is expressed by teachers who:

Recognize that students, like adults, have good and bad days
Understand that forces outside the classroom may be affecting a student’s performance
Know the classroom is not the center of the universe
Know the difference between symptoms and problems and look for the root of the symptoms rather than label them in negative terms
Knows and believes that no child wants to fail in school and that failure is a symptom that needs to be investigated

ABILITY TO SET CLEAR BOUNDARIES

Teachers with this ability will:

Take a stand to promote fairness and enforce classroom rules, even if it makes them unpopular
Set clear and fair boundaries for students who may be out of control
Run the classroom with a sense of conviction rather than by fear and intimidation

SENSE OF HUMOR OR LIGHTHEARTEDNESS

This quality is exhibited by teachers who:

Place priority on important issues and understand that to err is human
Allow students to explore their “child” side without admonishing them to grow up
Are able to laugh at themselves when they make a mistake
Understand the difference between telling jokes and making fun of or belittling students
Know that no child should be the focus of a joke

ABILITY TO GIVE COMPLIMENTS

Teachers who possess this quality will:

Spontaneously compliment students for their achievements and for trying their best
Find positive things to tell students before making suggestions on how to improve something
Make constructive comments on tests and essays without devaluing students’ efforts
Provide students with small notes and cars recognizing a good job, a commonsense decision, assistance to another student, and so forth

ABILITY TO ADMIT MISTAKE

Teachers who possess this quality will:

Admit their mistakes to let students see that mistakes present a learning opportunity
Not be afraid to show students how to correct a decision that is obviously wrong
Are solution oriented rather than blame oriented

WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN

Teachers who can listen:

Put aside time to sit down with students who need to say something
Understand that reaching out to an adult is a difficult step for many students, especially for those who have no one to listen to them at home
Teach students that being listened to does not always mean that someone will agree or be able to do what they ask

APPROACHABILITY