1

2.0 ESSAY: WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES THAT MAKE UP A GOOD TEACHER?

“What is a teacher? I'll tell you: it isn't someone who teaches something, but someone who
inspires the student to give of her best in order to discover what she already knows.” 
― Paulo Coelho

Every single person needs teacher to guide them to the right path of life. Then, how to become
a good, great teacher? As you know, nowadays teaching already became one of the most
complicated jobs. To become a teacher, you have to broad knowledge of subject matter,
curriculum and standards; enthusiasm, a caring attitude towards pupils, and a love of learning;
knowledge of discipline and classroom management techniques; and a desire to make a
difference in the lives of young people. With all these qualities required, it’s no wonder that
it’s hard to find great teachers. In addition, good teacher is made up of a combination of
hundreds of qualities that allow them to do their job effectively. Each teacher has their own
way to teach students.

Based on an article tittle Essential Qualities of a Good Teacher, there are twenty-
five qualities that make up a good teacher. First of all, a good teacher should be
accountable. A teacher can not have double standards on him. Like, you do not allow your
students to sleep in your class, then you should not sleep either. As a teacher, you have to
holding yourself to the same situation or expectations and standards as you hold on your
students. Next, a good teacher also the one who is adaptable. He can makes change to
any lesson or activities on the spot because of an unforeseen situation. Example, if half of
class can not understand some particular concept of topic, then you should not move on
yet you must immediately come up with a better way to teach that concept. That’s why
every teacher must have their lesson plan to arrange their teaching on whole day to avoid
any problems and if there is still unexpected problems come so teacher can handle it
wisely.

Next, a good teacher always went the extra miles to ensure that every student is
successful no matter what. Being a teacher is not an easy job. You need to love teaching
and love your students unconditionally. A teacher must know his students well and figure
out the personalities and interest of each student and incorporate components that connect
with each individual. Good teacher will always teaches his student sincerely without

2
seeking for anything yet a big wish that his student will grow up becoming a successful
person. In addition, teachers must always alert with the students condition. Either the
students have problem in or outside the school, teacher should be sensitive to that because
a student commonly still can not overcome their problems wisely. Then, the problems will
effects a lot of their life especially to their study and finally they will come up with bad result
in examination. So, since teachers have recognise that your students are in trouble,
necessary adjustment must be done to help them through those issues. For example, if a
student has just lost a loved one, the teacher should be sensitive to that and adjust
accordingly.

Based on the well-known online newspaper BBC News, teachers with the highest
qualifications are not automatically the best teachers in the classroom. The quality of being
a good teacher can not be measured by the way she produce a straight A’s students in
examination or a student who always coming up as a winner in a competition. Like we
knows, school is the place to shape the students become a great, better, and good person
ever in academic, co-curriculum, and also their character and behaviour. Who will shape it
all? Teachers.

Professor Patricia Broadfoot, a former Professor of Education and now currently

vice-chancellor of the university of Gloucestershire, argued persuasively that the evidence
from international studies showed that “the highest quality teaching and learning comes
when we have the greatest autonomy for the teacher and the learner. The good teacher,
always someone who was ‘left to get on with what they think their students need’. Not even
soft and fluffy is the only good way of teaching but good teacher always had to engage with
the powerfully charged emotional relationship between teacher and pupil. The biggest point
becoming a good teacher is creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and fairness in the
classroom, providing opportunities for active learning and humour to encourage pupil
engagement, making learning even more interesting, and always can explain things clearly.

BBC News also wrote about Professor Debra Myhill, from Exeter University, who
took a similar line with Professor Patricia Broadfoot. She argued that while good subject
knowledge and intellectual ability were both important, they were not sufficient to be a good
teacher. Indeed, a good teacher should go in for creative subversion. Great teacher also
have ability to reflect on her or his performance and then to change it. If his performance
does not good enough then he can fix it either and then do more effectively on next

3
performance. Good teacher always want to done the best all for his students to fulfil them
with education and good moral values.

The third expert, Professor Mary James who came from the Institute of
Education, highlighted ten requirements was that the teacher should have. One of it is
teacher must always promote the active engagement of the learner. Working collaboratively
in group makes children gain some academic skills. She argued, ‘’if learners are not
involved in their learning, they do not learn’’. Then good teachers must alert that and make
more group activities among his students. Students may have discussion among them and
sharing their thought, listen to other thought, and learn to work in group which is need
sense of corporation. That will make up a good students from a good teachers.

Linda Darling-Hammond and John Bransford had wrote a book; Preparing Teachers
For A Changing World, What Teacher Should Learn And Be Able To Do which is contain a
lot of points that make up a good teacher. To make a good decision, teacher must be
aware of the many ways which student learning can unfold in the context of development,
learning differences, language and cultural influences, and individual temperaments,
interests, and approaches to learning. Since every students are not on the same stage of
IQ and EQ so teachers must always remember that not every single words can be
understand easily by students. Above all, teachers need to keep what is the best for the
students at the centre of their decision making. Students especially who are on stage of
pre-teenagers are still can not think properly. They always being rush making any decision.
They get influenced easily by strangers. So there is need to remind student to not trust
something easily; always study about something before making decision. Students need
the guide from teachers.

Furthermore, a good teacher also need to be more proactive since the demands on
teacher are increasing. Not only teacher need to be able to keep order and provide useful
information to students, teachers also need to be increasing effective in enabling a diverse
group of students to learn ever more complex material and to develop a wider range of
skills. In previous decades, teachers are just give stress on teaching students about
spelling, reading, counting, and other basic skills. But different on today which is teacher
are now expected to prepare virtually all students for higher-order-thinking and
performance skills. Good teacher will always ready for any challenge such like that. They
will always bare in mind that teaching is a lovely job that will born successful peoples.

4
 Becoming a good teacher sound simple but it is a big matter. “Teachers, I believe,
are the most responsible and important members of society because their professional efforts
affect the fate of the earth.” ― Helen Caldicott. All of those qualitification was indeed important
to born a good teacher who will born a great students.