Ritamarie Jimenez-Trippett

Essay: The Most Important Qualities of an Outstanding Educator

Educators play a pivotal role in the lives of students. I believe there are identifiable qualities that
outstanding educators possess that enable them to more effectively relate to students. In order
to succeed, an educator must rely on their practical experience and their understanding of student
development theory to best meet the needs of the students.

A student-centered educator is passionate about the success of their students and will consistently
strive to create programming to benefit them. They are able to assess the needs of their
population to meet the ever changing needs of the students. They are able to build positive,
meaningful relationships within a diverse population of students. They encourage and foster
student growth through a variety of learning style techniques and approaches depending on the
needs of the individual.

Student success is initiated by having exceptional communication skills. Listening and truly
hearing the concerns of each student allows an educator to better meet the needs of the student
and help them be successful.

The characteristics above mentioned are some of the most important qualities of an outstanding
educator. It takes a lot of work from the educator to successfully incorporate the qualities of
student centeredness, creativity, great and patient listener into their daily teaching philosophy, but
that is was makes them outstanding. All the hard work and determination make it all worthwhile
toward the ultimate student success.