Teaching is a critical job that comes with its own challenges and hardships. Still, you do not have to be afraid of such situations. If you are on the path to becoming a teacher, or to succeed in being a teacher, there is always some scope for improvement.
I admit that it might get frustrating to deal with your students. It is completely normal to feel down and stressed in such a profession. But, that’s life. I always suggest you think of what Karl Menninger said, “What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches”.
Luckily, I have some tips for you that you can adapt in your life to be the educator that you aspire to be. Jumping straight into these tips, let’s begin.
Tackle Challenges
Challenges are unavoidable. In fact, the more you run away from them, the more they will chase you. Therefore, the best way to get rid of these uneasy situations is to fight them. Whether you are an established teacher, or an aspiring candidate planning to become one, the only key is to face the situation.
Interestingly, you might be high on your luck today, as I can recommend an effective road map to becoming a teacher.
- Go for higher studies in your preferred areas. For instance, a bachelor’s degree in special education online or any state-approved teacher education program.
- Get yourself a teaching certificate.
- The Core Curriculum of the Fast-track Certification Program is also paramount to becoming an educator in the USA.
- Go for State Licensure for Teachers to obtain a teaching license.
- Finally, apply for teaching jobs in our preferred location.
INTERESTING FACT
This graph shows the percentage of U.S. teachers by their educational levels.
Start Teaching on Your Own
This tip will especially help students who are willing to become an educator in the future. You can start providing tuition classes to students on your own. This way, you will gain experience and will get an idea of how to deal with students.
Even if you are employed as a teacher in a school, you can still teach children in your neighborhood or your own kids to further polish your skills.
Spend Time in Knowing Your Students
As mentioned earlier, think of yourself as a student and how you wanted your teacher to be when you were a student. Would you like yourself as your teacher if you were a child? If not, it’s high time to invest your time in your students.
I agree that to catch up with the syllabus, you have to constantly take classes without any breaks. But, this can cause a certain gap between you and your students. Not a physical gap, but a mental one. Try building a relationship with your students. If there is some free time, ask them about their day, their hobbies, and their families. Tell them about yourself, and have fun.
Let Students be Your Teacher, too.
Apart from Google, there will be less than 1% of people in this world who know about everything on this planet. And you are certainly not one of them. So, do not be afraid to ask your students about something you do not know.
Being an advanced generation, they might know hacks or features about technology that you won’t.
Take my real-life example, when I used to teach my younger brother a few months back, my brother told me about how AI can help me write blogs. I already knew about several writing tools such as ChatGPT and Bard, but never tried them. Despite being younger than me, he taught me how to initiate and what to mention in my prompt so that I get the desired result.
Practice Sound Classroom Management Skills
In my opinion, “The journey to becoming a teacher starts from the moment you think of becoming a teacher”. This means the moment you start your studies to become a teacher, it’s high time to train like one. Therefore, start investing your time in learning how to manage a classroom.
Being the only adult in the room, it is important for you to calm down. Practice meditation and work on your personality so that students will obey you.
Learn to Make Surroundings Bright
No, you do not have to decorate your room or your home to become a successful teacher. But, the key here is to lighten up your surroundings with your jolly and happy nature.
Would you like your teacher to be dead-serious and never smile during the time he teaches? I don’t know about you, but generally, other students do not. So, work on your body language and learn to lighten up your space with positive energy.
Inspire Your Students
A good teacher does not only clear concepts but also encourages students to be a better version of themselves. For students, their teachers are the next big inspirations after their family.
If you aspire to become a teacher that remains in student’s good books, you should work on inspiring your students. And the journey to obtain such a personality starts by working on yourself to become a better version.
Set Firm Goals, but Flexible Means
The meaning of this term is to set a goal that you want to achieve by the end of the month. For instance, set a goal to teach a number of chapters by the end of the quarter. Your goal must be firm and achievable.
However, you cannot run through the chapter in a single class or pile tons of homework for your students to achieve the goal. You must plan your strategy effectively so that study does not feel like a burden.
Create Work-Life Balance
As a teacher, your mental peace matters too. Therefore, along with investing in your students, invest some time in yourself too.
If you are not mentally sane, there is nothing fruitful value that you can provide to your students. Therefore, work-life balance is much more significant in your life than you think.
Continue Learning
Learning is a never-ending process. The more you break yourself towards being a better self, the more you will shine. As a teacher, students can sometimes teach you lessons that many people cannot.
In the end, to be a better teacher, be a student first.
Final Words
Teaching is a pivotal job that helps in shaping children’s future, but also the future of the world. That said, these were major tips that you can follow in your daily routine as an aspiring teacher.
Follow these tips, and be a better educator.
