Characteristics of a competent teacher

¶ … Competent Teacher

Key Elements of a Truly Competent Teacher

To be an educator is one of the greatest gifts within the professional world. The ability to help mold and foster the genius of others is an honorable feat. However, today's society has seen a degradation of the quality of teachers. In order to better hone the craft of teaching, particular elements of teacher competency need to be explored and examined in both a theoretical and real life environment. Three elements in particular stand out to define a truly competent teacher; understanding of the student, adjustment of curriculum to fit that understanding of the student, and finally an open and strong line of communication between teachers and parents to help promote learning at home.

In order to honestly assure the competency of any teacher, there are several aspects which that teacher should embody in both their style of teaching and knowledge of material. One of these elements includes the important need for a teacher to be able to properly assess and adjust to fit the best suited needs of their students. According to the American Federation of Teachers, "Assessment is defined as the process of obtaining information that is used to make educational decisions about students, to give feedback to the student about his or her progress, strengths, and weaknesses," (American Federation of Teacher's 1990). This ability to understand the needs of the students proves an important factor in delineating competent teachers from those less apt to perform well within a classroom context. Understanding one's students goes far beyond surface level, and the more in-depth understanding of a student a teacher has, the more efficient that teacher can be within the learning experience. Teachers should have an idea of their student's cultural backgrounds, skill levels, interests, and motivations before fully commencing into curriculum material (American Federation of Teacher's 1990). This will help the teacher best present material to students in a meaningful way. Once true instruction begins, this exploration of the minds of students should then develop into a "monitoring [of] pupil progress toward instructional goals; identifying gains and difficulties pupils are experiencing in learning and performing," (American Federation of Teachers 1990). Thorough understanding and accommodation of student's needs and interests can make the difference between an attentive, and therefore actively learning student, and a student who proves to show little interest in the material. Thus, this knowledge of each personality within one's classroom proves to be a major element of a competent teacher.

Once this thorough understanding is achieved on behalf of the teacher, a more aggressive monitoring and implementation of specified strategies can begin in order to most efficiently expose the student to the curriculum. Understanding a student can break through into tailored lesson plans and modifications. It can also lead to better decisions on behalf of the teacher to help improve student learning. Intervention within normal curriculum can be understood as "giving contingent, specific, and credible praise and feedback; motivating students to learn; and judging the extent of pupil attainment of instructional outcomes," (American Federation of Teachers 1990). Adjusting material and implementing methods to give student detailed and tailored feedback can help teachers' best influence the path of learning of their students. Not only does it make lesson plans most efficient, it also helps perk student interest within the classroom. When the student feels that their needs and interests are being taken care of, they are more likely to participate within class and teacher discussions. Students need to feel that their teachers are paying attention to their strengths and weaknesses. Such attention can also help build a report between teacher and student which will also help solidify the influence of the teacher within the context of student learning.