The Teacher as a Person

“There is no more noble profession than teaching. A great teacher is a great artist, but his medium is not a canvass but the human soul”. I quoted these lines from one of our speakers in a 5-Day Seminar on Teacher Inductive Program (TIP) for Newly Hired and Locally Funded Teachers with the theme: Rearticulating the Teaching-Learning Process among Novice Teachers: Towards a Learning Centered Environment- the NCBTS Framework
, held in SPUS, Surigao. (Actually, the resource speaker originally quoted the lines from the anonymous writer. She shared it to us for us to reflect on). Personally, I inspired by it, so, I want to share it to you (readers esp. the teachers) hoping that it may inspires you also).

The speaker shared her topic on Professionalism of Teachers: Responsibility and Accountability. She cited the twelve successful qualities of good teachers according to Ornstein in 1990. The twelve successful qualities of good teacher are:

Intelligence. Good teachers are those who possess average to high intelligence. The better teachers are those with high intelligence identified quotient (IQ) and must exhibit one or more of the multiple intelligences identified by Garner (Visual-Spatial, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Musical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical).

Emotional Stability. Aside from having a high intelligence quotient (IQ), a person who will make a good teacher must also have a high emotional quotient (EQ).
This teacher is not easily upset by petty things; does not worry a lot; does not find difficulty in adjusting to new situations, and does not panic when pressured.
This teacher is cheerful and optimistic, self-controlled, patient and level-headed.

Resourcefulness. A person who is resourceful can easily find ways to solve a problem by making use of what is available; one who can always “makes do” with what is at hand and stimulate other people to make use of available materials, time and resources. He/she can be depended in times of difficulty and hardships and can make big things happen using limited resources.

Consideration and Compassion. This person is kind, friendly, courteous, helpful, thoughtful and tolerant. He or she who looks beyond oneself and is aware that no one is an island by oneself. This person feels what others feel.
He or she believes in individual differences; hence, respects other persons’ strengths and weaknesses, is patient, good natured and tactful in dealing with others.

Buoyance. A person who is buoyant survives difficulties; know how to balance life in the midst of adversities, a great optimist who always looks at the positive side of life. This person is cheerful, has high interpersonal intelligence and a good sense of humor. He or she is alert and gregarious and loves the company of other people.

Objectivity. An objective person does not make judgment unless sufficient evidence is presented. This person puts aside personal consideration in the search for truth, constantly looking for explanations and giving equal chance for all to be heard.

Drive and Self-Motivation. Individuals who succeed in life and in their chosen career are those who are self-driven and self-motivated. They have the physical vigor to do their job. They never leave any assigned task unfinished and they perform at their best. They do their work without being supervised. They are goal-oriented and they seek various avenues to accomplish these goals.
In contrast, some people are laid-back. They are externally motivated and are easily discouraged. They are slow in action and lack endurance. They lack a sense of urgency and need to be pushed all the time.

Dominance and Self-confidence. A dominant and self-confident person believes in himself/herself and in what he/she can do. He/she is determined to accomplish something with success. He/she believes in the saying, “no guts, no glory”.
Some characteristics of a dominant and self-confident person include courage, decisiveness, determination and self-reliance.

Attractiveness and Pleasures. Attractiveness and pleasantness are very important because a teacher as the most important visual aid in the classroom. The person has to neat, clean, charming and well-poised. The person has to carry himself well and must be appropriately dressed from head to toe.
“Simplicity is beauty”, so the saying goes. When one is attractive and pleasant, that person is more respectable.

Refinement. Good taste and social graces bespeak of a refined person. Refinement is not inborn but it is greatly developed and influenced by the people and the environment where one lives. Refinement is manifested in one’s demeanor, actions, body language and words. It is greatly influenced by nurture rather than nature. Your choice of clothes, words to use, actions to take are dictated by your upbringing and breeding.

Cooperativeness. To be a good teacher, one has to be cooperative, friendly, generous, adaptive, flexible, responsive, trustful and charitable.
In cooperation, one’s success is everybody’s success; there is no “me” nor “you” but “we”.
Reliability and Dependability. A reliable and dependable person is one whom others lean on for support. He/she is honest and sincere in words and actions.


To be continued…