It is for this reason that teacher training is an element on which decision makers must place a great deal of emphasis in the context of planning an education project in the short, medium and long term. In a school project, the role of teachers is crucial. The teaching staff is the most significant and valuable resource within schools. Thus the latter, to ensure that their students have access to high quality education, seek to attract competent teachers, to continue to train them and to retain them. What are the characteristics of a good teacher?
1. Mastering your subject
To be respected by his students, to be authoritative in front of his class, and therefore to be able to support his students, a good teacher must first master his subject. This is the first condition for gaining the confidence of the pupils.
2. Mastery of didactic skills
A good teacher must master the methods and practices of teaching in general, and of teaching his discipline or subject in particular. He must concentrate on his discipline, reflect and question himself on the methodology to be used, the concepts to be integrated into the level of training required and be able to appreciate the coherence between knowledge and their progression.
3. Mastery of teaching skills
A good teacher must be interested in the organization of his class (making a class plan, for example), in the conditions which favor learning, among other things in the approaches, in the learning strategies, in his relations with the learners and their learning profiles. A poorly organized classroom can be a barrier to learning for some students.
4. The ability to build a relationship with students and their families
A good teacher must know his students, their difficulties, their strengths and establish a good relationship with their families. It is the latter who monitor learning at home by checking, for example, that homework is done, that the revision of notions is done, that evaluations are prepared. Families can help correct bad behavior in the classroom.
5. Self-confidence
A good teacher must have confidence in his ability to support students to help them develop their skills and improve. He must believe in his ability to act in a positive way, to adapt to new teaching methods. He must be aware of his value and usefulness in society. A lack of confidence is easily detected by students who may interpret it as incompetence.
6. The ability to motivate students
A good teacher must create motivation in his students. For this, it must allow them to be the main actors in the active construction of knowledge. He must guide them towards research activities (make observations in the field, do projects, modelling, do documentary research in libraries, on the internet, do experiments, etc.). It must vary, alternate its course sessions (lectures, tutorials, debates, practical work, flipped class, pedagogical differentiation, etc.).
7. The ability to focus on the essentials
A good teacher must work in such a way that his students manage to retain the essentials of the course in class to prepare them for the exams. He shouldn’t bombard them with too much content. By wanting too much to give to the students, they end up missing the essential. This quote from Noël Mamère is also valid in teaching: “Too much information kills information”.
8. Self-learning
A good teacher must have the ability to train themselves and challenge newness. He must follow the news in his discipline and train in case of change. Digital now occupies a prominent place in almost all activities. A good teacher must therefore also be able to train in new information and communication technologies. A blow supported by new technologies becomes more motivating.
9. The ability to innovate
A good teacher must look for the best ways to promote the learning of his students. They must reflect on their teaching practices, question them if necessary, try new teaching methods, reflect on contemporary problems to encourage their students to propose new solutions.
10. Character
A good teacher respects the official program, but remains attached to his pedagogical freedom. He organizes his class as he wishes to facilitate the work, prepares activities to arouse interest, excitement or commitment. A noisy and/or disorderly class does not always mean a talkative class or a class that does not work. Learning situations may vary depending on the day, group lesson, class, etc. Some lessons may take place in the schoolyard. Nothing beats the joy experienced by students when the teacher changes workspace, leaves the traditional workspace, i.e. the classroom, to go work outdoors or go on an outing. pedagogic.