Be the teacher you were always meant to be
It may be shocking to some, but anyone can be a teacher, really. With the mindset and will, anything is possible. But it’s not possible for everyone to be a great teacher as that takes dedication, passion, and drive to really want to improve and inspire others and yourself.
You’ve been teaching for a while now and maybe be thinking to yourself if you truly are a great teacher like all your students tell you. Without wasting any more time, let’s get into some of the characteristics of what makes up a great teacher. By the end of this piece, you’ll be the judge if you really are the greatest teacher ever!
What It Takes
Being a teacher is an honor because you are the one who educates, inspires, and encourages the children of the world to become CEOs, leaders, doctors, and anything else their little hearts desire. To be a great teacher it takes time, energy, and, most importantly, your will and desire to improve and learn. Some of the characteristics include but are not limited to actively listening to your students, adjusting to each one of them and their needs, always learning for your own improvement, and knowing when to have some fun and when to be more serious.
Actively Listen
Actively listening to your students is one of the most important characteristics of any teacher. When your students notice you’re listening to their struggles they feel more inclined to also return the favor and actively listen to your instructions. When teachers passively listen to students, they’re not truly paying attention or hearing what the question or issue might be. This makes it more challenging to solve the problem and progress the learning.
In addition, at this point, miscommunication comes into the equation which can only make the process more challenging. Plus, it makes the students feel that they’re not being heard, and no student ever wants that feeling.
With active listening, your students know that they are being heard because they feel that you are working on their problems and concerns that they've brought up.
Actively listening really works in your favor not only so your students feel that they’re being heard but also gives you the opportunity to adjust to each individual student.
Adjust the Lesson
Each student you teach will be different from one another. They all learn in different ways and should be taught in different ways as well. The benefit of this for you is that you also learn to adapt to different styles of teaching the same material - enhance your skills as well as your students.
For students, they should feel that each lesson is personalized to their needs and wants which encourages them to be more engaged and improve their practice.
As the teacher, you’ll feel successful and proud when your students are enjoying their practice, and you may even gain more students since word-of-mouth is a very powerful tool.
So it’s a win-win solution as you’re also always learning what works and what doesn’t for your students.
Self-Improvement
Being a teacher doesn’t mean that you’re only teaching students but that you’re also learning along with them. Just like active listening and adjusting to each student’s individual needs you should be learning with your students.
A teacher’s knowledge doesn’t end when they graduate from school themselves but it’s ever-growing. It’s important to think of new ways of teaching the same material and to also find new materials. Always come to class with an open mind and heart that you too will learn alongside your students and that you’re not only teaching them but helping them grow and develop.
Have Fun
Lastly, remember to have fun! No one ever said that learning needs to be boring and textbooks only. To help keep your students engaged make lessons more fun and engaging.
Students will feel less bored and more interested in coming to lessons and will have the drive to continue practicing. A great teacher knows when the time to be serious should take place and when the time to have some fun is also needed.
A good mix of both is important for the success of your students and yourself as a teacher.
Using the Proper Tools
Tonara Studio is the perfect music education platform to cover all four topics that were mentioned.
Once you get your studio all set up, it'll be much easer to communicate with your students allowing you to better listen to them where they're struggling in the practice and where they're excelling. You'll also be able to adjust every lesson based on your students progression, seeing that you can easily track their practice progress. Finally, you can work on your own improvement by learning what works for your students and what doesn't. Let's not forget how practice is more fun with all the points and stickers that students earn!
Just as it was mentioned previously, Tonara Studio is a win-win solution for teachers and students!
Takeaways
Whether you’ve been teaching for a while or just started teaching recently try incorporating some of the characteristics that you just read about. You’ll see a big difference in how your students are interacting with their lessons and training. We want you to be the greatest teacher that you can be!
We’re rooting for you ?