TIPSHEET – 11 Habits of an Effective Teacher

Effective Teacher photo

1. ENJOYS TEACHING: Teaching is meant to be a gratifying and rewarding career field (although demanding and exhausting at times!). You should only become a teacher if you love children and intend on caring for them with your heart. You cannot expect the kids to have fun if you are
not having fun with them!

2. MAKES A DIFFERENCE: There is a saying, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” As a teacher, you need to be aware and remember the great responsibility of your profession. One of your goals should be: Make a difference in students’ lives. How? Make them feel special, safe, and secure when in your classroom. Be a positive influence in their lives

3. SPREADS POSITIVITY: Bring positive energy into the classroom every day. No matter how you feel, how much sleep you’ve gotten, or how frustrated you are, never let that show. Even if you are having a bad day, learn to put on a mask in front of the students and let them think of you as a superhero (it will make your day too)!

4. GETS PERSONAL: Get to know your students and their interests so that you can find ways to connect with them. Don’t forget to also tell them about yours! Also, it is essential to get to know their learning styles to cater to each of them as an individual.

5. GIVES 100%: Whether you are delivering a lesson, writing report cards, or offering support to a colleague – give 100%. Do your job for the love of teaching and not because you feel obligated to do it. Do it for self-growth and to inspire others. Do it so that your students will get the most out of what you are teaching them.

6. STAYS ORGANIZED: Never fall behind on the marking or filing of students’ work. Try your best to be on top of it and not let the pile grow past your head! It will save you a lot of time in the long run. It is also important to keep an organized planner and plan ahead! Lastly, keep a journal handy and jot down your ideas when an inspired idea forms in your mind. Then, make a plan to put those ideas into action.

7. IS OPEN-MINDED: As a teacher, there will be times when you will be observed formally or informally. You are constantly being evaluated and criticized by your boss, teachers, parents, and even children. Be open-minded when receiving constructive criticism and form a plan of action. Prove that you are the effective teacher that you want to be. Nobody is perfect, and there is always room for improvement.

8. HAS STANDARDS: Create standards for your students and for yourself. From the beginning, make sure that they know what is acceptable versus what isn’t. For example, remind the students how you would like work to be completed. Now, remember, you can only expect a lot if you give a lot. As the saying goes, “Practice what you preach”.

9. FINDS INSPIRATION: An effective teacher is creative, but that doesn’t mean that you have to create everything from scratch! Find inspiration from as many sources as you can. Whether it comes from books, education, Pinterest, YouTube, Facebook, blogs, TpT, or what have you, keep finding it!

10. EMBRACES CHANGE: Things don’t always go according to plan in life, and this is particularly true when it comes to teaching. Be flexible and go with the flow when change occurs. Instead of stressing about change, embrace it with both hands and show that you are capable of hitting every curveball that comes your way!

11. CREATES REFLECTIONS: An effective teacher reflects on their teaching to evolve as a teacher. Remember that we all have “failed” lessons from time to time. Instead of looking at it as a failure, think about it as a lesson and learn from it. There is always more to learn and know about in order to strengthen your teaching skills. Keep reflecting on your work and educating yourself on what you find are your “weaknesses” as we all have them! The most important part is recognizing them and being able to work on them to improve your teaching skills.

View the updated 2021 version of this blog.