In many situations a teacher means something different for each student. To many of us a teacher is the person in front of the classroom or lecture hall. A teacher can be someone that demonstrates each subject with passion and tactfulness as they pace the aisle and rows of seats lining a class. In my case being taught in a New Tech school a teacher simply means, a facilitator. Other students may describe their teachers differently; we all have a diverse way of looking at what teachers are. If we were all to describe what we would like in a teacher, something that would make the perfect teacher, it may vary from student to student.
To describe my ideal of a perfect teacher, I would describe someone whom is passionate about what they do for a living. To describe an adult perfect for the job of teaching I see someone that has the connective capacity with their students, and take the connection they made with each student to connect them to the rest of the class. And if the teacher can find a way to have their entire class bond maybe they could connect them to the work they take part in every day. I know how hard something like this could be, however I believe that if a teacher appreciates their job and has a passion for what they do, you could achieve anything as a teacher. Just a few characteristics, attributes, and qualities that I think should be found in a teacher are as follows;
• Have a sense of purpose;
• Have expectations of success for all students;
• Tolerate ambiguity;
• Demonstrate a willingness to adapt and change to meet student needs;
• Are comfortable with not knowing;
• Reflect on their work;
• Learn from a variety of models;
• Enjoy their work and their students.
When first being asked to write about what I think makes the perfect teacher I automatically thought of the movie and book “The Freedom Writers Diary”. Because it was based on a true happening, it made the story line most believable and moving. Someone to be so passionate about their job can make such a difference within her students’ lives. While watching and reading about Erin Gruwell and her class it not only showed me how unpredictable situations can be for a teacher but also that she went into her teaching career with an open mind. She didn’t know what would be waiting for her but with the achievements she accomplished it made her more than a teacher to her students, she became their motivator. You see the students grow into who they are and want to become; the class became a family for each of them.
An individual that goes into the profession of teaching should be someone that can make a difference in their student’s life. Each and every one of us, as pupils, has a varied opinion about what a perfect teacher should be combined of. Whether a student wants someone that is just simply a facilitator or someone that is there to motivate them in all that they do; a teacher should be able to acquire any characteristic that their students need. Sometimes the classroom is a safe place for a student, and for that person all they want is individual they can trust and look up to. Teachers are faced with countless possibilities going into a class or school, so go in with an open mind and always expect the unexpected like Erin Gruwell. Be a teacher that your students can count on to make a difference in their life.