UNIT 4:
Qualities of a good teacher
WHAT DO
YOU BELIEVE
MAKES A
GOOD
QUALITY
TEACHER?
Delineation of teachers’
“professional competence”
• Since
the 1920s, the issue of teachers’ qualifications, which can guarantee their
effectiveness, has been of concern for not only the science of Pedagogy, but also for those
in charge of staffing schools with qualified professionals.
• As regards this issue, modern studies have revealed that the way in which a teacher carries
out his work is determined by the union of his personality traits and acquired knowledge.
• The South African education system has undergone a number of changes in respect of
crafting a new society and new type of learning. It is constantly going through revisions to
enable it to reach its ultimate goal of transformation.
• Teachers
and their teaching are one of the biggest influences on student learning.
Committed, knowledgeable and skilful educators are among the country’s greatest assets
• There is therefore a need for professional standards to inform and strengthen the teaching
profession and enhance the quality of education for all learners
Professional teaching standards
Professional teaching standards
• The Professional Teaching Standards for South African
teachers consist of 10 Standards which are necessary
and interlinked components of professional practice:
• Professional practice involves educators acquiring and
using a range of effective teaching strategies to ensure
learning
opportunities
for
all
learners
through
professional engagement and professional knowledge
1. Teaching is based on an ethical commitment
to the learning and wellbeing of all learners.
• 1.1. Teachers believe in the capacity of all learners to achieve and make progress both
inside and outside the classroom.
• 1.2. Teachers understand the different challenges that confront learners and their families
and consider how these challenges may affect their behaviour and learning.
• 1.3. Teachers respect different aspects of learners’ identities (including gender, race,
language, culture, sexual orientation and dis/ability), and believe that these diversities
can be a strength and resource for teaching and learning.
2. Teachers collaborate with others to support
teaching, learning and their professional
development.
• 2.1.
Teachers conduct themselves in ways that earn the respect of those in their
communities and uphold the dignity of the teaching profession.
• 2.2. Teachers understand that the wellbeing of learners and the support of their learning
requires communication and collaboration between teachers, parents, caregivers, other
professionals, and the community.
• 2.3.
Teachers are responsible for their ongoing personal, academic and professional
growth through reflection, study, reading, and research.
• 2.4.
Teachers participate in endorsed continuing professional teacher development
activities/programmes organised by their subject associations, professional learning
communities (PLCs), higher education institutions, teacher unions and private providers.
3. Teachers support social justice and the
redress of inequalities within their educational
institutions and society more broadly.
• 3.1. Teachers are committed to ensuring that learners are given the support they need for
inclusive access to learning opportunities.
• 3.2. Teachers have a responsibility to identify and challenge policies and practices that
discriminate against, marginalise or exclude learners.
4. Teaching requires that well-managed
and safe learning environments are created
and maintained within reason.
• 4.1. Teachers are in class and teaching during scheduled teaching time.
• 4.2. Teachers establish class routines to make the most of the available teaching and
learning time.
• 4.3. Teachers use fair and consistently-applied rules to promote respectful behaviour in
their working environments.
5. Teaching is fundamentally connected to
teachers’ understanding of the subject/s they
teach.
• 5.1. Teachers understand the subject/s they teach as bodies of knowledge in which
important concepts are connected to one another.
• 5.2. Teachers understand how learners process and present information in the subject/s
they teach.
• 5.3. Teachers understand how subject knowledge can be applied to interpret and address
real-world issues.
• 5.4. Teachers keep themselves informed of new developments and research in their
subject/s.
6. Teachers make thoughtful choices
about their teaching that lead to learning
goals for all learners.
• 6.1. Teachers consider how learners develop and learn when choosing teaching and learning
strategies.
• 6.2. Teachers seek to understand how theoretical concepts and evidence-based research can
inform the choices they make in their classroom practices.
• 6.3. Teachers can account for the design, delivery and assessment of lessons to themselves, their
colleagues and to other stakeholders.
• 6.4. Teachers improve their teaching by reflecting on what has worked and what has not worked
in the learning experiences they have created.
7. Teachers understand that language plays
an important role in teaching and learning
• 7.1. Teachers create opportunities for learners to develop their vocabulary, their command
of the Language of Learning and Teaching (LoLT), and to develop their reading and
writing skills in the lessons they teach.
• 7.2.
Teachers draw on other languages, when necessary, to enhance learners’
understanding of the important concepts in their lessons.
• 7.3. Teachers enable learners to understand and use the specialist terminology and
language of their subject/s.
• 7.4. Teachers provide learners with ongoing opportunities to read, interpret, and respond
to different kinds of written, graphical and visual texts.
• 7.5. Teachers recognise that all learners need to acquire and hone foundational skills in
language and numeracy, and that there is a strong interrelationship between language and
numeracy.
8. Teachers are able to plan coherent
sequences of learning experiences
• 8.1. Teachers use the national curriculum to identify what learners are required to know
and do.
• 8.2. Teachers use the national curriculum and knowledge of their subject/s to understand
how important ideas and skills are built up across different years of learning.
• 8.3. Teachers base their planning on what learners know and understand in order to
design coherent units of lessons with meaningful learning activities and assessments.
9. Teachers understand how their teaching
methodologies are effectively applied.
• 9.1. Teachers explain content knowledge to learners in ways that are understandable and
accurate.
• 9.2. Teachers devise tasks that give learners opportunities to consolidate new knowledge
learnt and to practise skills.
• 9.3. Teachers learn to anticipate what learners will find difficult to understand and
develop effective ways to address common misunderstandings.
• 9.4. Teachers find, develop or modify carefully chosen physical, graphic, digital and text-
based resources to enhance learning.
• 9.5. Teachers engage their learners to stimulate their curiosity about a subject and
motivate them to learn more.
10. Teaching involves monitoring and
assessing learning.
• 10.1. Teachers use assessment tasks that give learners opportunities to show what they
have learnt, and what they can do with that knowledge.
• 10.2. Teachers provide learners with constructive feedback that helps them understand
how they can improve their learning.
• 10.3. Teachers analyse learner contributions, their questions and their errors as important
data that shows what the learners do and do not yet understand to inform future planning.
• 10.4. Teachers keep accurate records of assessments that track learner achievement and
can report to stakeholders on the progress of learners.
The Roles of the Educator and Their
Associated Competences (Norms and
Standards for Educators)
The Norms and Standards for
Educators
• The
Norms and Standards for Educators (NSE) (DoE 2000a) was the first postdemocratic education policy that was applicable to all teachers nationally. The policy
sought to address the vastly different and fragmented provision of teacher education
nationally.
• It assumed that greater levels of uniformity would be achieved by stipulating required
outcomes of teacher education programmes. It therefore specified the nature of teachers’
work, and the state’s expectations of them.
• It also intended to provide a curriculum guide for higher education institutions to
“develop programmes and qualifications that will be recognised by the Department of
Education for purposes of employment” (DoE 2000a, 1). This policy was conceptualised
around seven different roles that the state expected each competent educator to fulfil.
The Norms and Standards for
Educators
• 1. Learning mediator
• 2. Interpreter and designer of learning programmes and materials
• 3. Leader, administrator and manager
• 4. Scholar, researcher and lifelong learner
• 5. Community, citizenship and pastoral role
• 6. Assessor
• 7. Learning area/subject/discipline/phase specialist
Case studies
1.
Mr Mopani, has been with Floraton Senior Secondary School for over 10
years and believes that students should be responsible for their own
learning and lead themselves to success, as it has worked for them in
previous years
2.
Velangaye High School has a record of student success, however there
are students who have been excluded in mathematics lessons due to
language barriers between the student and the teacher.
3.
Alfred is often a behavioral problem in Ms. Stewart's tenth-grade
classroom. Throughout the school year, she has tried to ignore his
behavior in an effort to not reinforce it and avoid giving him an audience
for his acting out.
Case studies
4. A newly qualified teacher is having difficulty with his class. About six
students are always late, never do their homework and have little
motivation. However, they do not misbehave in class but are just very
apathetic e.g. they won’t join in pair or group work. The teacher, M, is very
stressed as his HOD is coming to observe his lesson as part of his probation
and he knows that she will not be impressed with the strategies that he is
using e.g. lecture, copying from the board..
5. Students in School A have been showing signs of violent and reckless
behaviour behaviour such as bullying, smoking, truancy and some even
teenage pregnancy. The community in which the school is surrounded is
aware of such behaviour as it is widespread in the community.
Qualities of a good teacher
Personality traits
• The Big Five Model, also known as the Five-Factor Model, is the most widely accepted
personality theory held by psychologists today. The theory states that personality can be
boiled down to five core factors, known by the acronym CANOE or OCEAN.
• The Big Five model resulted from the contributions of many independent researchers.
Gordon Allport and Henry Odbert first formed a list of 4,500 terms relating to personality
traits in 1936 (Vinney, 2018). Their work provided the foundation for other psychologists
to begin determining the basic dimensions of personality.
Qualities of a good teacher
• A good teacher can make a world of difference in a student's life, impacting everything
from their classroom learning to their long-term success.
• Research from the Economic Policy Institute shows that good teachers are the single most
important factor that contributes to student achievement in the classroom, more important
than facilities, school resources and even school leadership.
• There are certain personality traits and qualities that every student looks forward to in a
teacher. Remember how you were as a student? Who was your favorite teacher? I am sure
it was not one who came in with sticks and stones. While scaring students might make
them do their work, being harsh is not going to benefit them in the long run.
• Take inspiration from teachers you look up to and never ever stop learning and growing.
Everyone has at least one teacher who they’ll never forget. Teachers have the immense
power to change lives and truly impact their students.
DO YOU THINK HAVING
QUALITIES OF A GOOD
TEACHER IS ABOUT BEING A
GOOD PERSON?
Qualities of a good teacher
• Communication skills:
• On any given day, a teacher is likely to interact with students, colleagues, parents, and
administrators. As such, communication skills fall at the top of the list for what separates a
mediocre teacher from a great teacher.
• Communication skills not only mean that a teacher is good at talking and leading a
classroom, but they are also great listeners. Furthermore, a teacher with good
communication skills will know how to take command of the subject they are teaching and
explain information at a level that students can understand.
• In teaching, having strong communication skills as a teacher is an essential quality for
building teacher-student rapport and creating a trusting environment for the students.
Strong communication skills are essential for the objective of teaching itself.
Qualities of a good teacher
• Engaging teaching style:
• The truth is that not every student learns in the same way. There are various learning
styles Some students are better at learning visually, or seeing representations and/or
pictures of information. On the other hand, others may prefer to listen to audio or a
lecture to absorb information.
• Good teachers are aware that every student has different needs. If one student is falling
behind because of the teaching style, a good teacher won’t give up or blame the student.
Instead, they can use their communication skills to better understand what the student is
lacking. Then, they may be able to adjust their teaching style to engage the student or
provide specific activities to help the student learn more effectively.
Qualities of a good teacher
• Discipline skills:
• Teachers can all share a story or two about an unruly student or group of students. In most
instances, students act out in class for reasons other than what’s actually happening in the
classroom. For some, it could be a cry for help or attention.
• For others, it could be a sign that there’s a learning disability going unnoticed. Whatever
the reason is, good teachers know how to discipline. Sometimes, it will mean sending a
student to a principal or setting up grounds for suspension.
• But, for others, it could just take a conversation to get to the root of the problem, and a
teacher could be the perfect person to help resolve a student’s issue. Furthermore, the
ability to command a classroom will also help educators to anticipate a student’s needs and
promote strong relationships between teacher and student.
Qualities of a good teacher
• Patience & Passion for teaching
•
One of the most necessary characteristics for a good teacher to possess is patience.
Students learn at different paces. It’s up to a teacher to ensure that students feel
comfortable and supported along their educational journey. They can let students know
that they are available after class for help, may be open to extending office hours, or
reiterate that the student has means of support if needed.
• There are several different reasons why people get into the world of education. But the best
teachers are born for it. You can tell the good teachers apart by their level of passion that
they express.
• Passionate teachers are the ones who will stay late after class to ensure that their students
have the support they need; they are the ones who spend extra time outside of the
classroom to come up with ideas for their students; they are the ones who give detailed
feedback instead of just checking boxes for grades. Passion comes out in many ways, but
these are some examples that set good teachers apart from the average educators.
Qualities of a good teacher
• Knowledge of subject matter & Adaptability :
• Of course, as a teacher, you’re expected to be the expert about the subject you’re teaching.
While you don’t have to know it all, you have to have a strong and deep understanding of
the subject matter.
• Students will come to you with questions, and it’s definitely best that you know the
answers! If you don’t know an answer, the least you can do is provide students with
direction as to where to find it.
• The only thing that’s constant is change. The world, the classroom, and the rate of
information exchange continue to shift. The teachers who make the biggest difference in a
student’s life are adaptable. They know how to incorporate aspects and events outside of
the classroom and bring it within a student’s reach and understanding to connect formal
education with life skills. An adaptable teacher also models for students how to be resilient
and flexible when events beyond their control take place.
Becoming an effective teacher
• Effective teachers are critical to the development and academic success of students. If you
are looking to become a good teacher, you need to showcase strong skills in communication,
teamwork, time management, problem-solving and organization.
• Then you should put these skills to work to educate your students.
• Good teachers often have these qualities and characteristics:
Effective goal-setting
Clear communication
Acting as a role model
Adaptability and flexibility
Preparation
Self-reflection
Life-long learning
Promoting a love of learning