Everyone has that one great teacher they remember from school. The teacher they liked above all others, who understood them, inspired them and supported them in their endeavours. Not everyone has the ability to be a great teacher, nor the ingredients needed to inspire young minds.
Here are the attributes needed to make an aspirational teacher:
Knowledge
In order to inspire students to learn, a good teacher must be knowledgable in the area they are teaching. A thorough, indepth knowledge of the curriculum allows a teacher to consider the most effective methods to teach content to students. They can teach in a way students can comprehend and engage with critically, to formulate thought-provoking questions.
Passion
If a teacher isn’t passionate about what they’re teaching, nor will students be. According to Shaun Killian, passion is one of the most important factors for high performing teachers. Exhibiting passion for a subject creates excitement and students feed off this. When students name a teacher that inspires them, it’s often a teacher that loves their profession.
Storytelling ability
According to Tory Vidler, “Teaching is no longer about being an oracle, but a facilitator of curiosity and critical thinking skills.” Teachers that are able to present information in a scenario that students can relate to and are able to employ more effective teaching methods to aid students’ understanding in multiple subject areas. Stories foster a child’s ability to think critically as they insert themselves into the situation and consider how they would behave in that scenario.
Christ Church Grammar School prides itself on its innovative teachers who are skilled at igniting a spark of genius in every boy. Register for an upcoming school tour to discover the Christ Church Advantage first-hand.
