Guidelines to Becoming a Better School Teacher

Whenever you ask a school head what his/her most difficult task is, what the reply will be is the recruitment, development, and retainment of good staff. They often times have a range of desirable traits and attitudes needed in any recruitment plan.

It is a known fact that apart from necessary qualifications and knowledge, a teacher needs to be able to teach students in an innovative manner and be able to use technology for teaching and assessments.

With rising in the need for teachers that are innovative and can incorporate 21st-century skills in the classrooms, what then are the exact skills that young teachers need to equip themselves with?  

The points given below are in no particular order, and all are required for a teacher aspiring to become an international one.

Knowledge needed to become an international school teacher:

1.   Content Knowledge: Teachers have better knowledge about their subject domain so students can develop interest and eventually knowledge for the subject.

2.   Know the students: A teacher that has no knowledge of how each student learns is not a good teacher. You should know the cognitive development of each student, understands the psychological and emotional awareness of each child, and teach in a manner that to fosters their self-esteem and character

3.   Educational Knowledge: what kind of teacher will you be if you cannot organize a class? You must know how to prepare lesson notes, both in theory and their application in different ways that can help meet the academic needs of each learner.

Skills needed to become an international school teacher:

1.   Academic skills: I believe the most important skill a teacher needs is the ability to teach meaningfully so each student can understand, participate, and collaborate in class. Some of these academic skills include; teaching skills, presentation skills, and the skills to apply technology to teaching.

2.   Reflective skills: The fact that you are a teacher does not mean you know it all, reflective skills are needed so one can reflect on his/her teaching methods and works on ways to improve them. Apart from this, relationship skills and class management skills are also needed for the proper management of a class.

Attitudes needed to become an international school teacher:

1.   The ability to ‘unlearn and learn’:In today’s highly competitive landscape, teachers need to be continuous learners to maintain their professional effectiveness. A good teacher must be open to new ideas, and be able to learn.

2.   A Belief that all Students can Learn: As a teacher, you do not pick out interest in individual students, your work is to ensure that all of them learn and grow. You create an environment that promotes growth and learning for every pupil/student.

3.   Respect for diversity: There are schools that have multicultural classrooms, you should as a teacher be able to blend in with that class, and make it such that promotes support and acceptance of any difference that might be among the students.

This Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude outline will help improve teacher awareness of their teaching practices, improve on their relationship with students, and help them become better learners irrespective of the differences in their learning ability.