Characteristics of a favorite teacher

¶ … Teacher

The characteristics of a teacher that has had a positive impact includes all of the types discussed in the reading they are caring, practical and creative. The teacher that had the greatest impact on me is extremely organized. All classroom content and instruction is conducted in an organized manner. They are caring not only for the well-being of the student, but also in the subject matter that they teach. It is easy to see when a teacher is really compassionate about the subject that they cover in the classroom. Another characteristic of a teacher that has had a positive impact falls under being practical. They are practical in problem solving real world issues. This educator brings experience and a fresh perspective to the classroom. Lastly, this teacher encourages students and brings a high level of excitement to the classroom through presentations and personality. Schilf (2010) explains further the characteristics that make up a good teacher. In his writing he explains that he or she will have a positive relationship with their students, an ability to deal with student emotions, able to maintain control & discipline accordingly, create a positive learning environment, recognize the needs of each individual student, enjoy working with both students and parents, organized, and provide the students with a positive self-image.

A teacher that has had a negative impact is one that is unprofessional and does not appear to care about the subject that is being presented to the class. When you have a teacher that doesn't look like they understand the content or even that they do not really care for the subject can negatively impact ones learning experience. These teachers can be explained simply by stating that they do not posses any of the characteristics discussed about educators that have made a positive impact. With most teachers it seems that if they do not care for the subject matter being presented vital information can be lost and students can have a hard time focusing. A teacher that has had a negative impact was not motivated herself, and therefore was unable to motivate any of the students in her class. She was unprofessional, and would discuss her personal life in the class room, and she lacked professionalism. This teacher never had any of the assignments that were to be completed prepared ahead of time, and she often appeared to be second guessing the information that she was giving to the class.

Both of the teaching styles affected my learning experience. The positive, organized teacher had a good affect on me; however the teacher that was mentioned under negative impact did not have a good impact on my learning experience. There are times when you may have a class that is not your favorite subject, however when you have a teacher that is well organized, and they truly show that they love what they are teaching, it has sparked a curiosity for that subject even though I may not have previously cared for it. On the other hand with the negative teacher, I began to care for the subject matter even less. It was hard to stay focused and motivated through the course work. So this supports the idea that the characteristics of an educator can directly affect the student's perceptions of the classroom atmosphere, the content being taught, as well as the ability of the teacher. If you approach a student with compassion for the content, respect for the student and oneself, then it will cause a positive atmosphere where students will want to learn and interact. Both styles make a difference in a student experience regardless of being positive or negative.