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Teaching is a fulfilling profession. It receives numerous rewards in the form of love, respect and trust from students and society—apart from monetary benefits. Teachers are the architects of a nation. They nurture the youth who are the future of a nation. They fashion the scientists, the innovators, the philanthropists and the leaders of tomorrow. Not everyone possesses the abilities of a teacher. The profession requires a special set of skills. There are multiple training programs available in the market to help you gain effective teaching skills. Most good teachers have a unique set of teaching skills that sets them apart. The list of teaching skills of a good teacher can be quite long. Let’s look at some of the key skills of a teacher:
Communication
A significant professional skill of a teacher is communication. A teacher has to interact with a large number of people daily. They connect with students, parents and other staff members at their educational institutions. The key skills of a teacher should include excellent verbal and written skills. Written and verbal skills help when making lesson plans and explaining concepts in class. A teacher has to interact with 20 to 30 students in a class, and it might be challenging to pay attention to each of them. Good communication skills and a friendly demeanor can help engage students. Communication becomes a vital skill of a good teacher when interacting with parents. Teachers have to be good communicators to understand parents’ concerns and explain their child’s unique problems. Communication skills also help a teacher develop strong interpersonal relationships with other members of the school’s ecosystem. It also helps them explain the challenges they face while teaching to parents, society and policymakers in the government.
Enthusiasm
An essential skill required to be a teacher is enthusiasm. An enthusiastic teacher can easily hold on to their students’ attention. Enthusiasm is a practical teaching skill because it energizes the environment of a classroom. Students can see the involvement of their teacher in the teaching process. Enthusiasm, as a professional skill of a teacher, can inspire motivation and spark curiosity in students. An enthusiastic teacher is guaranteed an attentive class and improved student behavior. Passionate teachers are willing to put in the time and effort to learn new teaching methods and enhance their classroom environments. Students are more likely to achieve their learning goals when tutored by an enthusiastic teacher.
Organization
Organization is one of the types of teaching skills expected in a teacher. Teachers have to be methodical because they deal with a large amount of paperwork. It’s challenging to systematically maintain study materials, student assignments, records and exam papers without organizational skills. Organization is a core teaching skill that comes in handy while planning or designing exciting lessons to engage students. It’s a teaching skill essential for classroom management. Classrooms should have the required study materials organized in the allotted places and readily available to students. Well-organized lesson plans and classrooms reduce teaching time and help teachers tackle last-minute problems that can crop up. An organized teacher is also punctual and becomes a role model for students.
Leadership
An essential competence in the list of teaching skills is leadership. Teachers have to be good leaders to earn the love and respect of students, parents and colleagues. Leadership is a core teaching skill that can bring about transformation. Teachers with leadership skills become role models and inspire students. They encourage others to step up and contribute. Leadership is a key skill of teachers who are willing to take risks and find solutions to complex problems. They are eager to innovate and try out new ideas and initiatives. It leads to meaningful learning experiences that help students achieve their potential. Good teachers are often good leaders. They are eager to share effective teaching skills so that it benefits students and fellow teachers. A good teacher is also a patient listener, lending an ear to the problems of students, parents and colleagues, and an expert in finding solutions.
Creativity
Creativity is among the key professional skills of a teacher. Teachers have to deal with children who have curious minds and short attention spans. They’re constantly attracted to new stimuli. Only by being creative can a teacher motivate students and keep them engaged and interested in learning. Creativity enables a teacher to make educational material interesting with audio-visual tools, facts and stories. A creative teacher brings to the classroom knowledge beyond their subject. They can draw upon their experiences and interests to add value to their teaching. Students, bored with the routine ways of teaching, respond positively to their inputs. They enjoy the surprises and fun elements that a creative teacher brings to the table.
Being Tech-savvy
Nationwide lockdowns due to Covid-19 added tech-savviness to the teaching skills list. As classrooms moved to the online mode over the past year, teachers had to scale up their technology-based teaching skills. Knowledge of technology has, therefore, become part of the professional skills of a teacher. The growth of social media platforms and students’ presence necessitated teachers to upgrade their technology skills. As schools equip their classrooms with technology, videos, virtual classrooms and interactive study materials have become the norm. Lesson plans, worksheets and tests have gone online. Online learning has become an educational tool that has benefited many. Mastery over technology is expected, and it has now become an integral part of the skills of a good teacher. This aids them in understanding how best they can serve their students’ needs. Tech-savviness also makes teaching easier and frees up time for other activities.
Patience
Patience is a crucial teaching skill and ranks high on the teaching skills list. A teacher has to interact with children who can test their limits constantly. It’s not easy and requires emotional control to remain calm when students misbehave, are late to class, don’t turn in their homework on time or refuse to answer questions. If a teacher loses control and gets irritated, they would no longer retain the trust and respect of students. Teachers have to be empathetic to understand the problems of their students. A compassionate teacher can draw out a shy kid, support a child who is being bullied or help one unable to understand a concept despite multiple explanations. Patience comes in handy in conflict resolution as well. In a school, numerous pressure points lead to conflict between teachers and students and teachers and parents. A patient teacher can act as a mediator to resolve a dispute.
Commitment
Commitment is a core skill among the types of teaching skills required to be a teacher. Dedicated teachers understand the impact they have on their students’ lives and futures. Passionate teachers dedicate time and effort to ensure that their students achieve their goals. They work hard to create enabling and effective learning environments. A committed teacher is aware of the responsibility that society and parents have entrusted them with. They’re conscious of their role in their students’ intellectual and moral development, helping them grow into responsible citizens. A motivated teacher embraces new methods of teaching, and this ensures that students benefit even more. Covid-19-induced lockdowns brought the commitment of devoted teachers to the fore. They learned new methods to use their teaching skills to deliver online learning.
The above teaching skills list is in no way complete. There are many more teaching skills that set a good teacher apart. Not all teachers are born with the key skills of a teacher described above. To a large extent, teachers’ training courses help develop the abilities of a teacher. They can help polish the skills required to be a teacher. Teachers have to be aware of the teaching skills they lack and enroll in training programs that help build core teaching skills.
Harappa’s Inspiring Faculty Program is designed to help teachers build core teaching and professional skills. The various types of teaching skills that the Inspiring Faculty Program delivers enable experienced faculty to keep pace with changing classroom demands. It ensures impactful learning outcomes in eight crucial areas. The faculty development program combines self-paced courses and live masterclasses. Through Harappa’s Inspiring Faculty Program, teachers can enhance their teaching skills and become effective educators.
