Traits of an Effective Teacher

I've always noticed that some teachers are more effective than others, but now that I'm back in school I'm even more curious as to what qualities effective teachers have in common.  With my experience through K-12, four children now in school, my current attendance in college, and homeschooling three of my children for two years, I've been exposed to many teachers that have ranged from horrible to absolutely wonderful.  I also have the added experience of being on the other side of the desk with the two years I spent homeschooling my children.  A great teacher can make all the difference in a person's education.  My children have had teachers that made them dread school, but they've also had teachers that they rave about daily.  What makes some teachers inspire a desire to learn and others inspire dread and poor attitudes in their students?  The Chicago Tribute published an article on their website that delved into this topic.



5 traits of effective teachers (Chicago Tribune)

 

1. Open mind Learning and adapting are two of the biggest parts of being a successful teacher.*

"Lynn Columba, program coordinator of the College of Education at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., says the best teachers consider themselves "lifelong learners" who are "willing to explore new teaching strategies and methods" as well as "act on current research in the classroom."*

"Effective teachers are not born, they are made after an enormous amount of hard work and dedication," Columba says."*

2. Flexibility and patience*

"One of the core doctrines of teaching should be that everything is in a constant state of change."*

 

3. Dedication*    

"Summers are a time when many teachers learn new skills, teach at summer school, attend teaching seminars or work on earning a graduate degree."*

 

4. Positive attitude*

"Some of your students will likely come to class with a negative attitude toward the class, so it's best to try and counteract it with positivity and a sense of humor."*

 

5. High expectations*

"An effective teacher should have high expectations and strive to raise the bar for his or her students. If you go in expecting less effort, you will undoubtedly receive less effort."*

*All quotes were taken from the article retrieved from: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/careers/chi-teaching-habits-education-careers-20111107-story.html

  Do you agree with the traits of an effective teacher that are listed from this article?  What other characteristics do great teachers have?