6 Qualities of a Good Teacher

For some, becoming a teacher is a lifelong career aspiration. Others decide to pursue a career as an educator while in college or after earning a degree and gaining experience in a different field.

Regardless of your specific path, it can be helpful to evaluate the real motivation for why you’re drawn toward the idea of becoming a teacher. You might consider some of the characteristics and qualities of good teachers who’ve come before you. While educators turn to classroom instruction for any number of unique reasons, there are a few key motivators that many teachers share.

What Are the Qualities of a Good Teacher?

Great teachers do more than just convey information — they inspire, challenge, and shape the future of their students. The best qualities of a good teacher go beyond basic skills and knowledge. They involve fostering a growth mindset, meeting students where they are, integrating cross-curricular learning, and committing to lifelong learning. Throughout this blog, you will learn about these essential good qualities of a teacher from education experts, who provide insights and strategies to help educators cultivate these attributes in their teaching practice.

Promote a Growth Mindset

The way we learn to confront challenges when we’re young can have a significant impact on how we approach obstacles as adults. Psychologist and researcher Dr. Carol Dweck wrote a book on the concept that explains how people develop either a “growth mindset” or a “fixed mindset” in their youth.

According to Dr. Dweck, those who shy away from challenges have a fixed mindset and may believe that intelligence, creativity, and personality are fixed traits established at birth. As a result, encountering obstacles can be enough to convince people with a fixed mindset that they’re incapable of overcoming them.

The best educators help foster a growth mindset. Students with growth mindsets view intelligence, creativity, and personality as traits that can be developed over time. As a result, they don’t see failure as a permanent setback. Instead, they see obstacles as opportunities to improve and learn, and may even actively seek out challenges to become more engaged.

Meet Students Where They Are

Every student is unique, and teachers should accommodate that. Steve Sonntag, a part-time teacher at Connecting Waters Charter School and Spanish and English tutor for Wyzant, strongly believes in this. In addition to fundamental practices such as continually encouraging students and regularly praising them for their achievements, Sonntag emphasizes the importance of catering to different learning levels within the same classroom. He explains that effective teachers understand that students naturally learn at different paces and being flexible is crucial. "Teachers need to be patient because not all students learn as quickly the first time they are introduced to new information," Sonntag explains.

Understand Cross-Curricular Teaching

When it comes to effective teaching, UMass Global Professor of Education Dr. Kimberly Greene warns against the natural tendency many of us have to silo different subjects. She says viewing everything students need to learn as separate, unrelated disciplines is counterintuitive to how things work in the real world. And great teachers realize this.

Dr. Greene believes cross-curricular teaching to be among the best teacher qualities — especially with young students. She explains that “Developmentally, young children are constantly trying to make sense of the world around them.” Dr. Green goes on to say, “By infusing any particular topic of study with another, we give students a greater opportunity to make genuine connections to their authentically lived experiences.”

Cross-curricular instruction draws upon content and skills from numerous areas to create one cohesive learning experience. This can help students learn how to connect what they know with what they are learning, a skill that has become increasingly important.

Cross-curricular instruction is at the center of the Common Core State Standards for teaching — a set of high-quality standards to which education programs, such as those at UMass Global, align their curricula. According to Dr. Greene, “Math and history and science and literature are all a beautiful combination of each other. This leads us to the unmitigated value of cross-curricular learning.”

Committed to Lifelong Learning

Learning to be a good teacher is a lifelong commitment. According to Erica Leahy, director of K-12 programs at UMass Global's School of Extended Education, improving teaching practices with new knowledge and skills leads to increased student achievement. Professional development options for educators include attending workshops, pursuing certifications, and enrolling in degree programs. Leahy suggests seeking feedback from peers or mentors to support continual improvement.

Open to Learning from Students

Teaching can be equal parts rewarding and challenging. That sentiment rings especially true for Tamara Frazier, whose education career began with a dream she had cultivated while still in high school: She wanted to be a special education teacher.

Frazier completed UMass Global’s rigorous Ed.D. program. Now working as a special education teacher at J.W. North High School in Riverside, California, she spends her days with students who have emotional disabilities, teaching everything from earth science to vocational education.

In her classroom, Frazier works with students who experience a range of mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, depression, and behavioral issues. “They challenge me in ways you would never understand,” she says of her students. These challenges, however, have taught her valuable lessons about emotional resilience and the importance of overcoming obstacles. “They make me a better person — emotionally stronger.”

Have a Future-Forward Outlook

Ample time spent in the education industry has enabled Dr. Keith Larick, Professor Emeritus and former chair of UMass Global's Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership (Ed.D.) program, to zoom out and examine the bigger picture of education. “We have been making incredibly slow, frustrating progress,” he says of the industry at large. “Things we were doing 15 years ago still haven’t bubbled up as general practices. We’re still tied to the textbook.”

His forward-thinking mindset is one reason Dr. Larick has played such a pivotal role in the design of the Ed.D. program at UMass Global. Technology, for example, is something he feels should be incorporated heavily in every school, district, college, and university. This is true even for students entering kindergarten.

Why Become a Teacher?

Choosing to become a teacher is a decision rooted in a deep commitment to making a positive impact on future generations. While the reasons for pursuing this noble profession vary, certain underlying motivations are shared by many educators.

• Influencing Lives: Teachers have the unique ability to shape the lives of their students. They can spark curiosity, encourage critical thinking, and inspire a lifelong love of learning. For many, the opportunity to leave a lasting impression on young minds is a powerful motivator.
• Personal Fulfillment: Teaching is often described as a fulfilling career because it allows educators to see the direct results of their efforts. Watching a student grasp a difficult concept or succeed in an area they once struggled with brings immense satisfaction.
• Contributing to Society: Education is a cornerstone of any thriving society. By becoming a teacher, you contribute to the betterment of the community and the world at large. Teachers play a crucial role in fostering an educated and informed citizenry, which is essential for a functioning democracy.
• Continuous Learning: Teaching is a dynamic profession that requires ongoing learning. Teachers are constantly updating their knowledge, exploring new teaching methods, and adapting to changes in educational standards. For those who love to learn and grow, teaching offers endless opportunities for personal and professional development.
• Building Relationships: The bonds that teachers form with their students, colleagues, and the broader school community are unique and often lifelong. These relationships can be incredibly rewarding, providing a sense of belonging and purpose.

Start Your Journey as a Teacher at UMass Global

Ready to display your qualities of a good teacher? If you find yourself identifying with any of the reasons to become a teacher that our education experts identified, it may be time to do some research on how to make your dream a reality.

The best way to start is to learn about your degree options. Head over to UMass Global’s School of Education information page to see how you could achieve your goals.