Success is a word that has been defined in different ways throughout history. For some it is having a lot of money, for others it is living according to how you have chosen to live … that is, there can be almost as many definitions of success as there are people in the world. Therefore, in today’s article, we want to try to define the idea of success applied to education and its guides, who are none other than teachers and professors.
Do not stop reading if you want to know what the success of a great teacher depends on.
Keys that define a successful teacher
A successful teacher is a person who has chosen this profession generally by vocation and who has developed teaching techniques in their students that have ensured their success. Let’s see, then, what specific characteristics would be those that would define this type of professors and teachers.
- They have highly developed empathy
Empathy can highlight the students’ shortcomings for correct learning, and it is only in trust that the real emotional state that surrounds students can be known throughout the school year. That is why vocation teachers are concerned with developing the ability to empathize with their students , with the aim of being able to see even beyond their words or actions. A characteristic that successful teachers must present, as well as anyone who is truly interested in the good of other people and in their ability to progress, especially in relation to learning.
- They are designers of learning environments
A teacher by vocation understands that learning is only possible when he is motivated to learn. That is why his first interest is always to create a stimulating environment , ideal for traveling through the didactics of any knowledge. Teachers capable of designing great learning environments are often also great speakers, with a great sense of humor and with a very open and carefree personality.
- Create future disciples
Successful teachers manage to sow the seeds of curiosity in their students by creating disciples. Disciples are people who want to learn what their teacher knows, and even dream of surpassing their teacher without this being an offensive or superior idea, but only of pure admiration. Vocation teachers want to transmit the love that their vocation means to others , so they never feel threatened by students who wish to also be educators in the future, what is more, this is usually an identification of their own personal and professional success.
- They are open to technological innovations
Today’s successful teachers are (and should be) open to learning about new technologies, especially if it means that their students can improve their learning. It does not necessarily mean that later, in their private lives, they must also be lovers of technology, but simply be able to understand it and respect it, giving it the necessary courage to improve teaching in the classroom . These types of teachers are also often critical if such technologies do not improve or even harm their students’ learning curve.
- They are critical and active people in learning theories
Successful teachers have the skill of observation very well developed. That is why they are active researchers in the classroom , capable of giving their opinion, of making constructive criticisms, of being actively involved in learning theories and of seeking new techniques and methods to improve the educational process.
These five points correspond to the most common characteristics found in a successful teacher today and, although they are probably not the only ones, they are the most representative. So, if you are a teacher by vocation, you will surely identify with most of them.
To be a successful teacher is to fulfill the job of guiding children towards their vital and professional future, and to do so leaving that beautiful memory that gives us thinking and evoking childhood and school when we are older . Ultimately, becoming that teacher who left, at some point in our lives, indelible marks in our memory and in our hearts.
And you, what characteristics would you point out when talking about a successful teacher? Are you also one of them?
They are part of the soft skills that every professional requires for this new era.