A good teacher is much more than “teaching” or “intellectual”. At different ages, disciplines and scenes, the “good” criterion is focused, but there are some commonalities across time and space that can be summarized at three levels: in hand, in eyes, in minds。
First tier: hand in hand -- it makes it easier
This is the most basic and visible capability. A good teacher is not a porter of knowledge, but a translator and architect。
• simplicity: the ability to explain obscure concepts with big words and vivid metaphors. For example, “water pipes and water pressure” is used to explain voltage currents, rather than reading definitions。
• diagnosis: a glimpse of where the student card is. Instead of repeating, "you don't understand," you can say, "you're a symbol that's stuck in this step."。
• precision of feedback: a batching exercise or a question-and-answer exercise does not say “no”, “very good”, but rather points out that “you have a clever approach, but a condition is ignored here”。
• system-building: not to teach knowledge points in a fragmented manner, but to help students form the knowledge framework and know “what is the connection between what is learned and before and after”。
Second floor: there's someone in the eyes -- real students
This is the temperature of a good teacher. Knowledge is cold, but people are alive. A good teacher does not teach lessons, but people。
• believe that every student can learn well: there are only differences in pace and manner. No labels for "stupid" or "slut"。
• patience and security: students dare to ask “soft” questions, and wrong answers will not be ridiculed, but accepted as part of the learning process. This sense of security is the soil of curiosity。
• awareness of teaching: giving students in the same class a different assignment or guidance. Challenges for fast students and steps for slow students。
• focus on growth rather than scores: praise efforts and tactics, not “you're smart”. It's just as positive to see the student who scored from 60 to 75。
Level three: people with light in their hearts - people who light fire
This is a watershed that distinguishes between “teachers” and “educators”. Instead of filling a bucket of water, a good teacher lit a fire。
• the passion of the discipline: the man who taught mathematics would be excited by “the beauty of the the theorem”; the person who taught the language would read a poem with light. This passion is contagious。
• beyond the values of books: teaching knowledge with the potential to convey honesty, tenacity, curiosity and critical thinking. For example, teaching history leads to thinking about “who talks about history”, and teaching science emphasizes the spirit of “renewable”。
• as a stepping stone in the life of a student: after many years, a student remembers that he says, “because he, i love the subject”, “because he, i learn how to face failure” or “he convinces me that he can do it”。
• growing up: good teachers admit that “i don't know” and go with students to find answers. They continue to study and reflect on their teaching methods。
The focus of different scenes
• facing primary school pupils: perhaps the most important is patience and game skills, as well as fairness and love in establishing rules。
• in the face of secondary school students: respect and understanding of adolescence are more critical, and they are seen as independents who can take the help behind the rebellion。
• facing university students/adults: professional depth and cross-cutting insights are more important, providing a framework and direction rather than hand-to-hand teaching。
:: skills teachers (driving school, fitness, programming): the ability to dismantle the movement and to give instant and operational feedback is central。
A simple test of judgment
You can ask yourself a question: "do i dare to make mistakes in ta class?" if the answer is "bold," then the ta is probably a good teacher. Because it means creating a space for psychological security, which is the starting point for all effective learning。
Finally, good teachers are not perfect, there are emotional ups and downs and there are bad lessons. But the difference is that they reflect and say, “i didn't say that last time, let's try again”. This gesture is the best education in itself。
