Having in-depth knowledge of the subject you teach is a primary requirement for a teacher. But, is that all? As a teacher, you should have certain sets of skills, knowledge and competencies that lead you to foster a healthy learning environment.
There is a constant need of upgrading your skills and learn and unlearn certain things to be better at what you do. With modes of online teaching being available now, teachers need to hone basic technical skills as well.
To understand what you, as a teacher, should be good at and what is expected from you, here is a list:
● Understand the Needs of Students
Every teacher must possess the ability to recognise and respond to the needs of their students. You should try to understand them, find out where the problem lies and find solutions for it. You should not only focus on their academic needs but also understand their behavioural pattern, their responses, etc., to make learning better for them. Also, you should be motivating them enough.
● Good Communication Skills
Having good communication skills is very necessary for a teacher. You should be competent enough to communicate clearly with the students and their parents for the betterment of the students. You must know the correct way to share feedback, monitor their performance and talk about any other matter. A good mother also play an important role to improve communication skills.
● Ability to Use Different Teaching Strategies
Explaining lessons from the books is not enough. You must possess the skills to incorporate various teaching strategies in your class. If you teach online, you can use various tools and software for your benefit which will make the class fun.
Teaching every day, in the same way, makes the class dull, hence, you must know how to make your classroom fun and lively and learning interesting.
● Ability to Plan Lessons
Teaching a subject is not just about reading out from the book and explaining it to teachers. You should plan how to go about teaching it, what techniques you can use, in how many days you will complete it, etc. Additionally, you should prepare and create your lessons in a way that is understandable to all students. The way you teach should be in the line with what students expect.
● Ability to Create a Healthy Learning Environment
For students to learn well, it is critical to establish a safe learning environment. A student will never feel confident in a class if he does not like the class. They should feel confident enough to ask any of their doubts, even the silly ones, without any hesitation.
You should treat all students equally. There should be no biasness. Also, you should inform them about what you expect from them.
Be friendly and approachable. All of these help in fostering a healthy learning environment.
Final Thoughts
A teacher should be more than someone who enters the classroom, reads out aloud from the books and leaves the class once the period is over. As a teacher, you should continuously work on making the learning experience better for the students and for this, you must upskill.