The Most Essential Qualities of a

Good Teacher
 
What are the most valuable qualities of a good teacher? Good teachers are made up of a
combination of hundreds of qualities that allow them do their job effectively. There is no
denying that all teachers have their own unique blend of these qualities. Each teacher is
different, but virtually every good teacher has some combination of these twenty-five
most essential qualities.

A good teacher is accountable.

Accountable – Holding yourself to the same expectations and

standards as you hold your students.

A teacher cannot have double standards. For example, if you do not

allow your students to chew gum in your class, then you should not
chew gum either.

A good teacher is adaptable.

Adaptable – Making changes to lessons or activities on the fly

because of an unforeseen situation or problem.

A teacher must be willing to change. If half the class does not

understand a particular concept, then you cannot move on and must
quickly come up with a better way to teach that concept.

A good teacher is caring.

Caring – Going the extra mile to ensure that every student is

successful no matter what.

A teacher must figure out the personalities and interest of each

student and incorporate components that connect with each
individual.

A good teacher is compassionate.

Compassionate – Recognizing that your students have problems
outside of school, and making the necessary adjustment to help
them through those issues.

A teacher must take outside factors into consideration. For example,

if a student has just lost a loved one, the teacher should be sensitive
to that and adjust accordingly.

A good teacher is cooperative.

Cooperative – The ability to work effectively with

administrators, other teachers, and parents for the good of your
students.

A teacher must be able to build cooperative relationships with

others around them even if they do not necessarily like them.

A good teacher is creative.

Creative – Taking a concept and shaping a lesson that is unique,

engaging, and dynamic.

A teacher must be able to create lessons that grab their students’

attention and make them want to keep coming back for more.

A good teacher is dedicated.

Dedicated – Showing up everyday and spending the necessary time

to provide your students with the best education.

Teachers often arrive early and stay late. They work parts of
weekends and summer to ensure that they are prepared.

A good teacher is determined.

Determined – Finding any means necessary to reach all students

no matter the challenge.

Teachers must be willing to do anything to ensure that all students

receive the education they need.

A good teacher is empathetic.

Empathetic– Being sensitive to a student’s struggles even though
you may not personally be able to relate to them.

A teacher must put themselves in the student’s shoes and see it from
their perspective. This approach is often transcending in how to
help the child succeed.

A good teacher is engaging.

Engaging – The ability to grab the attention of a classroom full of

students and to maintain their attention throughout the entirety of
class.

A teacher must create lessons that are fun, fresh, and energetic. You
want your student to walk out of your class each day looking
forward to the next.

A good teacher is evolving.

Evolving – A continuous process of year over year improvement

and growth.

A teacher must continuously look for ways to improve themselves

as well as individual lessons or components of lessons.

A good teacher is fearless.

Fearless – Trying a new approach that may be outside the norm and
may receive criticism or scrutiny.

A teacher must be willing to try anything within the parameters

of school policy to reach their students. They must also be ready to
defend their approach to criticism.

A good teacher is forgiving.

Forgiving – Quickly putting incidents with student, parents, or

other teachers behind you so that it does not impact your teaching.

Teachers must be able to get past hurtful actions or accusations

quickly. They must not hold it against any student or let it impact
how they teach in the classroom.
A good teacher is generous.

Generous – Volunteering for extra assignments and/or giving

money out of your own pocket for classroom needs or individual
student needs.

Teachers do not make enough money, but most teachers are willing
to donate time and/or money to help out in areas where a need is
recognized.

A good teacher has grit.

Grit – The determination to overcome any obstacle in the way of

obtaining a long term goal.

A teacher must possess the grit necessary to make the personal

sacrifices necessary to ensure that every goal is reached every year.

A good teacher is inspirational.

Inspirational – The ability of a teacher to get their students to buy

into, believe in, and to be motivated to become life long learners.

A teacher should make a lasting inspirational impact that follows a

student throughout their life.

A good teacher is joyful.

Joyful – Coming to class each day in a good mood, excited, and

enthusiastic about doing your job.

If the teacher has a lousy attitude, the students are going to have
lousy attitudes. If the teacher is joyful, the students are going to be
joyful.

A good teacher is kind.

Kind – The ability of a teacher to say and do things that

uplifts, motivates, and inspires.

Kindness should be innate in all teachers. A mean spirit will turn

students off, but a kind spirit is invaluable.
A good teacher is organized.

Organized – The ability to keep things neat and in order allowing

teachers to access materials quickly and to make efficient
transitions.

Organization is a necessary quality for every teacher. Teaching

encompasses so much that those who are unorganized will be
overwhelmed and swallowed up.

A good teacher is passionate.

Passionate – Teaching with enthusiasm and exuberance on a daily

basis because you love the content and your students.

A passionate teacher connects with their curriculum and their

students which maximizes learning.

A good teacher is patient.

Patient – The ability to see the whole picture and to understand that
the school year is a marathon, not a sprint.

A teacher must never give up on a student. They should

continuously try new strategies understanding that eventually
something will work.

A good teacher is resilient.

Resilient – Not allowing adversity to stop you from accomplishing

your goals.

A teacher must be resilient in overcoming the many obstacles that

will present themselves over the course of a year.

A good teacher is resourceful.

Resourceful – Finding a way to make things happen.

A teacher must be able to figure out how to get supplies and

materials for their classroom when the funding is not available and
to reach a student who has no interest in learning.
 A good teacher is trustworthy.

Trustworthy – The ability to get others around you to believe in you

and what you are doing.

A teacher must gain the trust of both their students and parents. Any
distrust will negatively impact the classroom.

A good teacher is vulnerable.

Vulnerable – Allowing your students to gain insight into your life

without revealing a lot.

Vulnerability allows students to relate to their teachers as they share

in common interests such as sports, television, etc

1. An Engaging Personality and Teaching Style

A great teacher is very engaging and holds the attention of students in

all discussions.

2. Clear Objectives for Lessons

A great teacher
establishes clear
objectives for each lesson
and works to meet those
specific objectives during
each class.

3. Effective
Discipline Skills

A great teacher has effective discipline skills and can promote positive
behaviors and change in the classroom.
 4. Good Classroom Management Skills

A great teacher has good

classroom management
skills and can ensure good
student behavior,
effective study and work
habits, and an overall
sense of respect in the
classroom.

5. Good Communication with Parents

A great teacher maintains

open communication with
parents and keeps them
informed of what is going
on in the classroom as far
as curriculum, discipline,
and other issues. They
make themselves available
for phone calls, meetings, and email.

6. High Expectations

A great teacher has high expectations of their students and encourages

everyone to always work at their best level.

7. Knowledge of Curriculum and Standards

A great teacher has

thorough knowledge of the
school’s curriculum and
other standards they must
uphold in the classroom.
They ensure their teaching
meets those standards

8. Knowledge of Subject Matter

A great teacher has

incredible knowledge of
the subject matter they
are teaching. They are
 prepared to answer questions and keep the material interesting for the
students.

9. Passion for Children and Teaching

A great teacher is
passionate about teaching
and working with children.
They are excited about
influencing students’
lives and understand the
impact they have.

10. Strong Rapport with Students

A great teacher develops a

strong rapport with
students and establishes
trusting relationships.

Teaching as
a career
Thinking about teaching as a career?
Teaching is an important and well regarded profession within our community and people
from all walks of life find it a professionally and personally rewarding career choice.

It is a unique profession because everyone has been in a school setting and seen teachers
in action, even if just as a school student. But do you really know what teachers do,
where teachers work and what kinds of teachers there are?

Teacher responsibilities
The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers comprise seven Standards which
outline what teachers should know and be able to do.

While the principal provides educational leadership for the school and sets the general
direction and ethos for all staff, students and community members, teachers play a key
role in delivery of quality education to students including:

 planning, preparing and delivering effective teaching and learning programs for
every student in allocated classes and/or groups
  establishing and maintaining a supportive school environment

 contributing to the development and implementation of the school objectives and

school planning

 assisting with the management and further development of school personnel,

financial, information and technology assets and facilities to ensure their optimum
use.

Each day, teachers:

 work with students of different ages and abilities

 prepare lessons and teaching materials
 assess student progress
 liaise with non-teaching staff such as teacher aides and therapists
 engage with parents and guardians
 work with colleagues and in professional teams
 are involved in extra curricula activities, school excursions and performances and
sporting events, and
 continue their professional development.

Graduate Expectations
Graduate Expectations 1.1M acknowledge the skills, knowledge and attributes critical
for a high-performing graduate. The Expectations highlight those aspects to the
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, for which strong evidence is sought by
Queensland schooling sectors.

Graduate teachers who demonstrate these expectations will be well positioned to

gain employment as a teacher in a Queensland school.

Where teachers work

Queensland state school teachers work in many different types of schools and educational
settings to support learners with a diverse range of ages, cultures, learning needs and
interests.

The settings that most people are familiar with include:

 Kindergarten
 Primary schools (Prep to Year 6) - Year 7 became the first year of secondary
school in 2015.
 Secondary schools (Year 7 to 12)
 P10/12 schools (Prep to Year 10 or 12)
There are also a range of school sites in Queensland that offer specialist and innovative
education programs where teacher can be employed. These include:

 Special Schools
 Queensland academies
 Specialist schoolsincluding Aviation High and the Queensland Minerals and
Energy Academy and 'centres of excellence' schools specialising in different
academic, creative or sporting endeavours
 Schools of distance education
 Centres for continuing secondary education, and
 Outdoor and environmental education centres.

Types of teachers
There are many different types of teachers. If you have an interest in a specific subject
area, or enjoy working with a particular age group, you may be suited to a specialist area
of teaching.

If you like You could become a

spending time with young children Early childhood teacher or primary teacher

working with adolescents Junior Secondary teacher

mathematics, reasoning or problem

Secondary mathematics teacher
solving

physics, chemistry, biology, or marine

Secondary science teacher
science

woodwork, metalwork or graphic Secondary industrial technology and design

design teacher

helping people who have special

Special education or learning Support teacher
needs

dance, drama, music or visual arts Secondary teacher of creative arts subjects

literature, language, communications, Secondary english teacher or english as a second

media or writing language teacher

Languages Other Than English (LOTE) teacher

languages
in primary or secondary schools

sport, physical activity and promoting Health and Physical Education teacher in primary
a healthy lifestyle or secondary schools

For a list of current areas of high priority employment areas, visit our current
vacancies page.

Qualities of a good teacher

Teaching is a career that provides challenges, excitement, personal reward and a chance
to encourage and support others to achieve their goals.

There are many personal qualities and skills that make someone a good teacher.

These include:

 being good at explaining things to others

 being a people person and enjoy working with a wide range of people
 enthusiasm
 having a strong knowledge in particular subject areas
 being a good time manager
 ability to work in a team as well as using your own initiative
 keeping your cool under pressure
 having patience and a good sense of humour
 being fair-minded
 coping well with change
 enjoying a challenge.

Good teachers know that by listening to and working with colleagues, parents, other
professionals and community members that they can inspire students and improve their
learning.

If you're interested in hearing about existing teacher experiences, visit our teacher stories.

If you think teaching may be the career for you, learn about teaching in Queensland state
schools.

^ Top of page
This page was last reviewed on 21 May 2015 at 04:16PM

Part 1: Top 10 Qualities of a Good Teacher

1
Passion for teaching
There are numerous ways through which this quality can manifest itself. It is easy to
know when a teacher is passionate about teaching. While some teachers may portray it in
the way they teach in class, some teachers manifest this quality in not so clear ways -
students have to be observant and quiet to be able to notice it.

2
Love for children
For most people, this is a quality that is very much overlooked yet it is an equally
important one of qualities of a good teacher. Most teachers love teaching and even love
the subjects they teach, but very few remember to even mention how much they love
their students.Most teachers use fear and intimidation to manage their classes, which is
the complete opposite of motivating the students. It is important to care about the students
to bring out the best in them.

3
Love their subjects
This is equally important. It is important for teachers to love the subjects they teach. It
can be amazing to sit and watch a physics or math teacher teaching the subject with so
much passion, especially if you do not get the concept. By loving the subject, they will
take the time to come up with the best ways to make the students understand and pass
their exams.

4
Understand the meaning of school
School is much more than simply the number of classes and subjects a student takes. This
is also the place they spend the better part of their life. It is a place for growth, finding
their identity, exploration and where they can find their joy. Teaching and learning takes
place beyond the four walls of a classroom. It can happen in the playing field, coffee shop
and even dining area. The best teachers will equip their students with skills not only to
pass their exams, but also to make it easy for them when interacting with other students.

5
Willingness to change
This is one of qualities of a good teacher that can be overlooked. Teachers should not
always be looking to change students through teaching. They should also be open to
change when interacting with students. It is possible for a teacher to change from
interactions with the students.

6
Organization skills
This is a quality most teachers struggle with. It entails proper time and work planning.
Organized teachers will have an organized way of teaching and this rubs off on the
students. It is, therefore, important for teachers to have a structure for organization. This
makes their work and that of the students much easier.

7
Willingness to always improve
Even with many years of teaching, teachers should always remember that there is room
for improvement. Some teachers have confessed that all their teaching career life has
been a constant lesson for them as they learn of better ways to serve their students each
day and better ways of teaching and interacting. A good teacher is open to challenges and
finds amicable ways of overcoming them.

8
Enough courage to face hard days
There are times when a teacher can go through a tough season, enough to make the faint
hearted want to quit. These days can leave a teacher’s ego bruised and disappointed. The
best teachers remember that these tough times do not last and that there are better days
ahead. A good teacher will get up and live to teach another day, even after a rough patch.

9
A lot of humility
There are times when the teacher can forget that what they do is not about them but about
their students. Ego can make teaching the worst career since the teacher is likely to turn
teaching into a competition between the teacher and students. It is important to remember
that teaching is more of a group activity and it is possible to learn something new from
your students. A teacher does not always have to have the final say or all the answers.

10
Ability to collaborate with students
This ability is also included in good qualities of a good teacher. It is important for any
teacher to understand that they are part of a larger school community which goes beyond
their classrooms. For this reason, a good teacher works towards making the school a
better place for everyone. As the teacher perfects in class, they should also have positive
impact in the school.

Part 2: Common Mistakes Made by Teachers

Lack of clear learning objectives
The key to making fair tests and coherent courses is for a teacher to write down learning
statements that are objective-explicit about what students should have the ability to do
after they have learned what their course outlines dictate. The teacher should also be able
to make use of the objectives as the core for designing assignments, lessons as well as
exams.

Getting stuck in a rut

There are always new happenings in the teaching industry which provide opportunities
and incentives to be used to improve courses. While it is not smart to always revise
courses whenever new incentives are introduced, it is always a good idea to always look
for good improvement opportunities which can be utilized within the time available.

Failure in providing variety in instruction

The use of effective instructions can be a good way to mix things up in class. Instructions
can include the use of multimedia, board work, discussion, storytelling, individual
assignments, activities as well as group work. The more the variety used in class, the
more effective the classes will be.

Using PowerPoint shows

Sitting through lectures is already too much for students. There is no point in training
them even more by using PowerPoint slides to take them through lectures. These slides
are a waste of time and resources.