“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” – William Arthur Ward.
Educational institutions today cater to the needs of students who are exposed to a very wide range of subjects- students are certainly a smarter lot today when compared to say a decade ago. To cope with the ever-changing trends, teachers have to be competent and methodical with organizing and scheduling, planning lessons, meeting with parents and students and enhancing their professional expertise. Multi-tasking skills have to be honed to successfully juggle personal schedules with their core function-teaching. Is that all?
Teaching today means imparting lessons to brains rewired by technology and reaching out to students with a whole new level of instructional strategies.
It is now mandatory that teachers have to learn and adapt to an evolving educational landscape- so overcoming the lacuna of gaps in learning becomes obligatory.
Let us discuss the 6 most important skills for a Teacher, today:
1) Willingness to learn and adapt:
While the process of learning is applicable for life, especially for teachers, the ability and mindset to readily adapt are as necessary. Observing the learning environment to better serve the students and their needs is an effective catalyst in this process. Overall success in the ability to be able to deliver as a teacher largely depends on these traits.
2) Ability to perform as a team player as well as lead:
Being able to put aside hierarchical privileges to collaborate freely with students and colleagues can bring about phenomenal output. When there are daily interaction and a mutual support system among colleagues you can count on, in turn being able to foster support in class becomes highly effective. It also helps establish strength and support among students. Remember that students watch a teacher closely and therefore this is a positive influence on them.
3) The act of empowerment:
Primarily this skill is about being able to harness the negative energy and make it a positive one- it encompasses empathy, compassion and overall trust. Entrusting students or colleagues with particular responsibility and helping them accomplish it through to the end can be liberating. More importantly, it sets the right precedent as well. It is one of the most important skills for a Teacher.
4) Embrace diversity:
This is not necessarily clichéd but is about being able to accept differential intellectual and learning capabilities among students. With diverse voices in the classroom, the teacher evolves subconsciously and it creates an atmosphere of dynamic learning. Once the teacher successfully demonstrates this capability to accept diversity in the classroom, students learn about empathy, acceptance, and tolerance through first-hand experience.
5) Effective communication:
Communication is the foundation of teaching and of paramount importance that it produces the desired result. As a teacher, his or her goal today is to ensure the effectiveness of the two-way communication that goes on in class to build the right kind of relationship to effectuate learning.
6) Problem-solving skills:
A teacher of today must be able to look ahead, identify possible areas of hiccups for a lesson plan and walk in with an action plan. In case there is a chance of a slip-up he or she must promise to get back in a short while with the solution and actually deliver it. These are certain subconscious observations a student makes of a teacher and learns from it.
Teaching training at Winmore academy:
Teaching at Winmore is based upon our principles of motivating and inspiring every student to achieve their full potential. Hence, we take teacher development seriously, as it is fundamental in providing the students with the best possible education. FEP or “Faculty Enrichment Programme” is a curated professional development programme for teachers to update their skills. Sessions are held on a weekly basis for teachers to share ideas and update themselves on the latest in instructional methods in their subject areas. Furthermore, all teachers participate in regular professional development programmes and training sessions by topic experts throughout the year.
To know more about important skills for a Teacher, you must opt for the best CBSE schools in Bangalore.