Personal & Professional Qualities of an Elementary Teacher (reflection # 1)

Teacher, considered as the second parent of the students, plays a vital role in shaping individuals. According to Johney Maron, in his article, Personality Traits of a Great Elementary School Teacher, teachers’ role in our society is a big responsibility for whatever possible outcome a child possesses, whether good or bad, it’s his influence mostly that took part and reflects the way how he brought up his students and act in the society. Reason that it is really a very difficult task to handle Elementary students, but could be very successful especially to those who embraces passion for teaching and take it professionally. It simply requires a personality and character beyond the ordinary. The article also emphasizes that taking that job does not only require personal quality so you could live with it, but it also needs a right training- an Elementary Education bachelor degree. Here, they can acquire the right knowledge on how to become an Elementary teacher. How a teacher acts, handles things appropriately and how he visualizes certain things/ incidents.

             In Johney Maron’s article, he mentions there some of the best qualities a teacher must have. One is patience, it begins where the teacher develops a thought that children are still learning, developing and growing so he must have patience on kids. Cheerfulness is the one that could say no to any pressure and could still give a wonderful impression on difficult and uncontrollable issues. Optimism, where teachers hold up hope and think that hard learners can one day is a very good learner. Lastly, determination, when everything like patience and optimism run dry, it is that flourish again patience and optimism and help through any hard times.        I have also read Beth Lewis article, talks about qualities of a good teacher. She said that a teacher must be compassionate, passionate, persistent, always up for challenge, results-oriented, creative & curious, and flexible. These all are basically can make a teacher a better and create better individuals that could make up a society.

             Beth Lewis said, “Teaching is more than just a job. It’s a calling. It’s an ever-surprising mix of grueling hard work and ecstatic successes. The most effective teachers are in it for more than just a paycheck. They keep their energy levels up by focusing on why they got into teaching in the first place.” I totally agree with it. Teaching is a passion. It is a dream job that brings out the world and let your students connect. Best teachers are not teaching because of money, but, teaching because of touching lives of students.