How to Become the Best Teacher

Students' Advice

B Y B U S Y T E A C H E R _ A D M I N 386,309 views

Nobody's perfect.
And when you are a teacher, it becomes even more difficult to
become perfect for ALL your students. It's clear, that we all are
different, so your students are, and each of them has his own learning
style. When your teaching style suits a learning style of your student,
you will definitely become his best teacher ever. This is like to be on
the same wave with someone. But it's obvious, that all your 30
students (or 20, or even 10, it doesn't matter actually) will never have
the same opinion about your teaching methods, so,
misunderstandings are impossible to avoid.

However, you always can become a better teacher for your

students, the main thing is to listen to them carefully. Here we have
10 advice from students to teachers, that will help you understand
their principles better. You teach them of course, but you can always
let them teach you a bit as well, can't you?
So, if you want to become the best teacher for your students, you'd
better not ignore what they say.

Let Your Students Help You Be a Better Teacher for

Them
1. 1
 A good teacher is an assertive teacher

Your students can have problems, bad days, stress, or

even depressions as well. If you see that some of your
students start to study worse, have no desire to do all
schoolwork you give them, and just want to give up everything,
do not be in a hurry to argue and tell them about how bad or
lazy they become.

You can become like a parent to them. Support your student,

ask about what happens to him, push him to do better. If you
see that your student is depressed, maybe it would be better to
meet with him after classes and find out what exactly is going
on.

2.2

Be their friend, but don't go too far

Students just don't like when their teacher starts behaving

like a student himself. Stay professional, help students with
schoolwork, listen to them, talk about their lives, but remember
who you are. Even if you are a young specialist, and you are
almost of the same age with your students, there is no need to
use all those slang words (even if you use them in your
everyday life).
 Your students will find it rude and unprofessional. As far as you
understand, this is not the best method to get a good
reputation. Your students just will not take you seriously.

3.3

Make your lesson relevant to their lives

If you want your students to remember your lessons, just

try to connect the information you provide with some
moments of your students' life. You can use some of them
as an example, describing this or that situation: it would be
more interesting for them to visit such lessons, but not those
boring ones where you try to explain them the importance of
differential equations for our science.

Just try to come up with an example, how these differential

equations can help THEM in the future.

4.4

Your time should be used wisely

Remember who you are and where you are. Students don't
like, when their teacher begins to tell them about his life, how
 better it was when he was younger, how better and more
patient all students were then, blah-blah-blah. Your student
visits your lesson to learn something on the subject, so, don't
give him a reason to miss this class next time.

Remember, that time is important for your students as well, so,

they would not be happy to waste it for lessons which don't give
them anything except personal stories from their teacher's life.

5.5

More explanations

Even if you consider yourself a cool teacher who explains

everything in a way that even the stupidest person would
understand you, don't be lazy to explain it to your students
several times, and what is even more important – try to do
that in different manners. Sometimes, they really don't get it,
but it's not because they are stupid: maybe some of them just
think different.

Be patient, and explain your material over and over again,

making sure all students understand what you're talking about.
You know, how difficult it will be for them to learn further, if they
don't get the basis.
6.6

Teach in a variety of ways

Don't be lazy to use as many different materials for your

lessons as possible. Students believe that the best teacher is
able to teach in a big variety of ways: use books, videos,
music, presentations, speeches, and everything that can be
interesting for your students to accept (you know them better,
so, you will definitely come up with good ideas).

If you show them a video, then give some papers with facts
described in that video, then tell them all this info yourself, it will
be much easier for your students to understand and get the
material.

7.7

Be firm

It doesn't mean you should be a dictator. But students do

not like teachers who are too soft and mild. Too nice is not
always nice, especially when it comes to teaching. There are
always some students in a class (we think, you remember all
those movies about high schools), who will try to persuade you
 that they do not need the material you give. Don't make a sad
face like that Okay meme on the Internet has!

Just stay consistent!

8.8

A good teacher always has objectives

When you start a lesson, make your students understand

clearly what they will learn today. You should have clear
objectives, as such a plan will help students concentrate and
know what they are supposed to do during this class.

You can write something like “do nows” on the board, or just tell
them your plan step by step.

9.9

Be a good example for your students

One student has told us a story about his teacher, who

always brought tasty organic food and shared it with those
students who didn't bring lunch with them. He looked
younger and very energetic, and some students changed their
 mind about what they age, because they just wanted to look
like a teacher.

This is an example of a teacher who influenced his students

positively. If you follow this advice, your students will thank you.

10.q

Believe in them!

Don't ignore your student, if you see he is not interested in

your subject, or he doesn't understand anything. Just try to
believe in everyone, and don't leave any of your students
behind.

Ask each of them to explain what exactly they don't like or

understand, explain this once again, make sure they've got it
this time. It is very important for a student to feel the support of
his teacher and know, that he will always help when it is
needed.