Characteristics of a Good Teacher

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 582.

READING

What are the qualities of ineffective teachers? What mistakes tend to make ineffective teachers?

3. Read the following article. Look trough the text, paying attention the words given in bold:

From time to time during the 15 years I have been working in the field of English language teaching and training, I have put myself in the position of language learner rather than teacher.

In addition to enjoying language study and finding the process fascinating, I find it beneficial to view the process through the eyes of a student. Even though I have felt at odds with some teachers and their methods, I have learned something from every teacher I have ever had, even the worst of them. (Patricia Miller. Volume 25, No. 1 2012).

There is a line in Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince that applies to any endeavor, but specially teaching. It reads: “That which is essential cannot be seen with the eye. Only with the heart can one know it rightly.” The essence of teaching is difficult to qualify, but that line leads directly into my most essential criterion.

I want a teacher who has a contagious enthusiasm for his teaching - one, who, as Richard Via says, loves his students and his work. Mr. Via is an educational specialist in using drama techniques to teach EFL at the East-West Center in Hawaii. It was a pleasure to be in his audience. His enjoyment in transmitting knowledge and participating in the seminar was apparent and infectious. His passion for teaching instilled a passion for learning in all the participants. For me, the most crucial factors in effective teaching are who the teacher is and how he acts in the classroom. This influences the way the students react toward the target language and, therefore, their success in learning it.

I want a teacher who is creative. Teaching must be more than simply opening a book, doing exercises, and following an outline written by someone else. In the tedium of repetition, the student can go through the motions of doing the exercises without his mind being engaged. What can a teacher do to engage the student's mind? There are a myriad of techniques that the creative teacher can employ—information-gap exercises, games, songs, jazz chants, problem solving, and other techniques that allow the student to utilize the skills he has already developed in his first language.

I want a teacher who challenges me. I had several teachers who always spoke to me in Spanish, both in and out of class. I felt they were showing confidence in me and challenging me to speak Spanish. The student's passive knowledge of the target language is always greater than his active knowledge. There is no reason why a teacher should use any language other than the target language except possibly for purposes of expediency. When a teacher reverts to the native language, he is showing aback of patience with the students' struggles in the target language. In addition, switching codes is confusing. I was given a test in which all the in instructions were read to me in English, so that I would be sure to understand everything. Then I had to answer in Spanish. But the test had three parts and I had to continue switching codes back and forth from English to Spanish; I found this very confusing. It is like going off a diet—once you cheat a little, then you want to cheat a little more. If someone speaks to me in English, this activates my English channel and I am prepared to think in English. Speaking in the target language to the learner prepares and challenges him to speak in that language. In addition, I want a teacher who can maintain a level of difficulty high enough to challenge me, but not so high as to discourage me.

I want a teacher who is encouraging and patient, and who will not give up onme. Some of the teachers that I have had demonstrated incredible patience with all of their students, never allowing even a shadow of displeasure to cross their faces in reaction to continued incorrect speaking after endless correction. When the teacher is positive—encouraging initial and repeated attempts—the students will apply themselves more diligently. Motivation thrives on success. One teacher I had appeared on several occasions to give up on me. She would struggle to have the other members of the class repeat the combination of an indirect object pronoun followed by a direct object pronoun—the nemesis of the Spanish-language student. They would have numerous chances to supply the correct combination in various tenses, but I often was given only one opportunity. For the life of me, I do not know why the teacher gave me only one chance. Was it because I was struggling and she wanted to spare me any unpleasantness? Or was it because in her mind I didn't need the practice? I felt that I needed the practice and wanted at least a chance to try. I felt that the teacher was discouraged and had lost confidence in my ability to progress. As a result, I lost my incentive and became unsure of myself.

Finally, I want a teacher who will leave his emotional baggage outside the classroom. The classroom is a stage, and to be effective the teacher must in some cases be an actor. I do not want to interrupt my concentration by worrying about what might be bothering the teacher. Nor do I want a teacher who sustains himself through ridicule or sarcasm, playing havoc with the motions of his students and thereby blocking any learning/acquisition that might take place. (English Teaching Forum #1, pages 36-38 ) 2012