Teaching is a noble profession. A teacher is he, who is engaged in teaching. A teacher helps students to acquire knowledge, competence and virtue (Wikipedia). In many cases we use the term ideal teacher. What makes a 'teacher' an 'ideal teacher'
Sure, it is impossible to reach perfection, perhaps even more so for a teacher.
I don't think listing the skills is a good idea. In my point of view, a few key skills are enough, and others skills de not have to be perfect (but have to be present).
An ideal teacher should be at the same time in front, alongside and behind his students. In front to show the way and pull students up. Alongside to accompagny them and to remember the past difficulties he had. Behind to keep an eye on them to maintain discipline and in case hey are distracted.
A good professeur has know-what (in his field and some more), know-how (techniques, didactics, etc.) and interpersonal skills (respect, warm, values, sense of groups and most important, he give students enthusiasm and passion). He really wants his sudents to learn and improve.
In addition to what is happening in his classroom, he also want to learn, to collaborates with colleagues and maintain professionnalism in non-teaching areas as well (appearance, communication, organisation, etc.).
A teacher can be categorized as excellent but never as an ideal since no human is perfect.
An excellent teacher will master more than the subjects s/he teaches, communicate well with the students, evaluate the performance of the students fairly & honestly, help in developing an ethical atmosphere around, show modesty & politeness in attitude, show enthusiasm in work, and set a good example for students to follow.
After retirement, a teacher can find out his/her true value among the graduating students upon meeting them. The students will either try to ignore him/her or they will insist upon receiving him/her with a warm welcome reminding the teacher of how much advantages they gained from him/her in their personal lives.
An ideal teacher is one who has competence (expertise to each the subject/content) and compassion (heart for each individual student). Most of all, he/she has the passion for continuing education and for continuing his/her mission in educating the young despite the hardships that may be encountered along the way.
Always I think about the genius. They probably have to deep into subject all alone going forward than the teacher's knowledge. Tha'ts why I send you a polemic question: A good teacher has to know the subject? It is necessary be an expert in a field to be an good teacher? Nowadays we live in a global information world. The information is out there. Maybe we can focus on the way a good teacher facilitate the adquisition of knowledge to the others. For example having a lot of methodologies in order to improve a significative learning. What do you think?
Attending to students, listening and trying to know what is left undone, completing what is not in the text to be studied. Of course knowing the field, just yesterday in The Conversation it told about how even very young students can benefit from analyzing and intuitive learning. Notice when it goes off the rails and thinking about that. Not get hung up on spelling.
Sorry Sudatta, but I'm not agree with your opinion. Humans beings have a spiritual part too, and a spiritual intelligence (Trascendent inteligence says Gardner). In the integral education we have to develop all the fields all humans beings attend on, spiritual part too. And sometimes this spiritual part develops behalf of a religion rules. Thank you
An ideal teacher is one who knows their own strengths and limitations and can channel them effectively while keeping the focus on each learner. Otherwise, there is no one ideal--each person differs in their effective teaching.
A good teacher is one who: loves their job to begin with, so much that it doesn't even feel like a job!
Passionate and willing to learn, since there is always something new to learn from anyone - the students too! Knowledgeable not only in their field of expertise but also in pedagogical matters, since it is not the same to have extensive knowledge ans knowing how to share it with others. Good listeners, not just with their eyes - students say much more with body language than they do with words. Motivated and inspired, as well as motivating and inspiring.
I prefer the term educator to teacher given that its root means 'to lead out.' I doubt there is an ideal educator as the match between instructor, student and material is variable. However, there are extremely good educators and they tend to share the same qualities: they are knowledgeable but, more importantly, they are willing to admit when they don't know the answer to a question and they look it up for the next class.
Perhaps paramount, excellent educators respect their students. It is often the case that some students are more intelligent (whatever that means) than their instructors, but they know less about the subject matter and that is invariably the instructor's advantage. Still, it behooves us to be modest in our dispensation of knowledge while we continue to respect our students, respect our students, respect our students.
Thanks Fernando Echarri, Sudatta Banerjee, Torkil Christensen, Jerry D Feezel, Carolina Serratos, Douglas Raybeck, Martin Joseph Spring, Ratna Juami, Faith Adhola for your participation in a lively discussion.