10 rules to become an effective teacher

In India, Teacher’s day is celebrated on September 5th, in the memory of the second President of India and academic philosopher Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan who was born on this day.

Our teachers are the people who have made us what we are today. However, it is not easy to be one.

Karl A. Menninger once said, “What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches.”

Here, are 10 rules to become an efficient teacher!

Be knowledgeable: To become a good teacher a person must have expertise/command over the subject, i.e. well-researched and updated knowledge of the subject.

Be resourceful: A good teacher is very resourceful and to be one, a person should have sufficient material and all the required tools to aid in the learning of his/her students.

Stay aware about his/her students: A student feels most comfortable when his/her teacher is well informed and can comprehend strengths and areas that the need guidance, well. It also enables the teacher to customize his/her teaching according to the student’s capabilities in the best possible way. Another important quality is that of being patient, as every child has a unique learning pattern and pace of grasping information. Thus, a teacher must take that into consideration and keep a track of student’s accomplishments.

Be flexible and creative when communicating: As every student has a distinct personality a good teacher must communicate in accord with his/her student’s nature. Here, the choice of mediums, devices, equipment for study and the use of technology play an important role.

Be inspiring: A good teacher leaves his/her students inspired, motivated and encouraged. Being able to bring out the best/creative side in the student and helping him/her stand up to their full stature/work at full potential is a great quality that a teacher can have.

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”

― William Arthur Ward

Develop a love for learning in students: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” –Maimonides. The best kind of teaching is one that can instill the qualities that ignite a passion for learning in the student.

Help students build self-esteem: Many-a-times a student is unable to perform well due to his/her emotional state or self-image. Being instrumental in counseling the student giving him/her the right direction can be one of the best things a teacher can do.

"The best brains of the nation may be found on the last benches of the classroom" – APJ Abdul Kalam

Respecting students: Respect is a two-way street. Every student needs to be respected regardless of his/her capabilities or shortcomings. It is very important to respect each student as an individual and not compare or demean or look at them with disdain for not knowing something. An effective teacher handles even the toughest class in such a way that the children become well behaved on their own. All that is needed is to acknowledge the sentiments of the students too, just like the English teacher Mr. John Keating (played by Robin Williams) in the ‘Dead Poets Society’.

Impart good moral values: A teacher is an experienced person who can give the right direction to his students. His/her role also includes teaching the students to be morally right and to have good values.

Last but not the least!

Be a role model: Set an example by being an ethical mentor. Just like Gandhi once said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

Do you know there is another day when teachers are honored and venerated in India and Nepal?

The day other than Teacher’s day when teachers are revered is that of Guru Purnima.