Introduction
Teachers form a critical part of the learning environment by guiding students. Effective teachers become successful at achieving their set targets over time by producing desired results. Ensuring that learners can understand different concepts within a specific period increases their chances of future success in that particular area of study (Ida, 2017). Consequently, having both patience and tolerance, besides continually assessing the teaching methods and practices, can enhance a teacher’s effectiveness.
Qualities of an Effective Teacher
One of the most influential teachers in my learning experience possessed patience that others lacked, especially in instances where I had difficulties. The teacher took the time after the mathematics lessons to have discussions on some challenging aspects of the subject. In such situations, having an understanding mind as an educator plays a big role in encouraging a learner to continue along the path without giving up (Ida, 2017). This enabled the processing of new information slowly without undue pressure, thus portraying a high tolerance level despite such challenges. Furthermore, it also allowed the making of mistakes critical in the learning process since students can gain knowledge from such situations. When difficulties arise, patient teacher can thus adjust their approach to increase their effectiveness in the classroom.
Additionally, frequent assessment of the teaching practices and methods allows monitoring and evaluation. This becomes important in understanding the right channels to use during the teaching process. Any procedures that seem to fail to take shape during a term can then be changed into more appropriate ones (Marshall, 2017). As a result, such changes provide for the increased effectiveness of teaching plans over an extended period. This assessment further ensures that learners showing problems can be appropriately instructed to keep pace with others. In my case, the teacher always made an effort to change the lesson type by using different approaches whenever a group of learners failed to understand specific concepts despite the situational lack of time.
On the contrary, an ineffective teacher does not consider the dynamic nature of a classroom and thus uses the same teaching methods for all students. More students tend to lag in such cases, creating an unequal classroom in terms of knowledge gain (Ida, 2017). On one occasion, the teacher openly criticized me for answering questions on multiple occasions wrongly. This demotivated the learning process, creating negative perception of that specific subject. A better approach in such a case would be to correct the mistakes properly using an appropriate tone to guide the understanding of the concept.
Effective Learning Environments
An effective learning environment provides support during the process to ensure that students feel connected. This makes it easier for a teacher to address the individual needs of all the members of the classroom. Moving as a group allows for weaker students to get assistance from their peers and the teachers, thus providing a learning environment that cultivates a culture of teamwork (Marshall, 2017). In the long run, this assists in developing relationships in the classroom that fosters academic and social development. Once students develop confidence despite their problems in school, they can begin to gain the motivation to work harder to achieve higher scores.
The concept of proactive classroom management involves the educator’s behavior and classroom organization to eliminate or reduce instances of problematic behavior. Ineffective methods can lead to the development of unruly behavior among learners, hence, it becomes essential to structure the teaching process to ensure that the teacher can manage the classroom at all times (Marshall, 2017). To reach all students in the classroom, an educator would require a deeper understanding of each student’s background. They can then perform all the necessary actions that provide a comfortable environment for the students to thrive. This provides a basis for creating a relationship that can foster growth both from a personal perspective and at an academic level.
Overcoming Challenges as Educators
Educators face a myriad of challenges during the teaching process ranging from uncooperative students, poor working conditions, and the pressure to perform according to expected standards. However, having the right attitude ensures that an educator can persevere when faced with such challenges. Understanding that such a job is never easy creates a mindset that takes each day as a new opportunity to impart knowledge to students (Ida, 2017). Furthermore, taking time to reflect on past experiences also provides an opportunity for educators to learn from the past. Mistakes enable the improvement of both the decision-making process and the procedures used in teaching to improve the outcomes.
Conclusion
Effective teachers require qualities such as patience and tolerance in addition to continually assessing the teaching methods and practices to enhance their processes. Patience plays a significant role in encouraging a learner to continue along the path without giving up while assessing the teaching practices and methods that enable monitoring and evaluation. Moreover, effective learning environments allow a teacher to address the individual needs of all the members of the classroom. To overcome the challenges educators face, they must become proactive and change their mindsets to persevere for the greater good of the learners they face each day.
References
Ida, Z. S. (2017). What makes a good teacher?Universal Journal of Educational Research, 5(1), 141-147. Web.
Marshall, J. C. (2017). The highly effective teacher: 7 classroom-tested practices that foster student success. ASCD.