Five Habits of Being a Successful Teacher

By Dr. Delfin R. Hernandez Jr.

To be a successful teacher, just follow the footsteps of

successful teachers. Here are some of the observed
characteristics or footsteps of teachers who have
succeeded in their professions. These are:
Being Punctual- It is an important standard expectation
for a teacher especially the public school teacher that he
will always show up to work on time. Some things can
be overlooked, but consistent lateness is not usually one
of them. It costs a teacher and his employer money,
damages the school’s reputation, and will be seen as
disrespectful to the pupils, co-teachers and parents.

Teachers who show

up ready and on time demonstrate that they take themselves and
their responsibilities seriously. If they slack off in showing up
on time, they’ll have dissatisfied pupils, will annoy their co-
teachers who come early; will dissatisfy parents who bring their
children very early in the morning or at noon, and won’t get any
consideration for a promotion. These teachers will be
blacklisted by their superiors- their school principal,
instructional supervisor and grade level chairman.

A reputation for being a latecomer or a no show is very hard to

shake. Therefore, a teacher should cultivate to be on time and
always be present at work.

To avoid to be absent, a teacher should sleep early if his

schedule is A.M. He must have alarm clock. If his schedule is
6 AM to 12 noon, he should rise around 4 pm in the morning. If he is too far from school, he should
rise much earlier. Be sure, he should come in the school at least 15 minutes before the scheduled
time.

Showing Patience- Among all professions, teacher is the most patient among all and he should be
patient to ensure success of his career and his pupils under his guidance and care. When the pupils
are motivated, the lesson material strikes a chord and the atmosphere is good, teaching can be the
best job in the world. Other days though things won’t go so smoothly. When students are having
trouble, pull back and try to find a way around the difficulty. Could a teacher present the material
in a more accessible manner? If it’s a grammar issue, would slowing it down and giving more
examples help?

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If it’s a classroom management issue, have the students understood instructions properly? If not,
can teacher make the instructions simpler? If frustration is evident, would doing rather than telling
help to change the mood?

Whatever the situation, an irritated teacher will only make things worse. Be patient.
Understanding, encouragement and a willingness to change the script when necessary will allow
teachers to cope with most classroom difficulties.

To be patient, teachers must take a deep breath and try to see things from the pupils’ perspective.
He should consider his pupils as his children, being a second parent and has special parental
authority over them under her direct supervision.

Being Organized- Being prepared is not only having vocabulary sheets, role play cards or
multimedia aids sorted out, it’s also about understanding the lesson material and knowing how
teachers are going to implement it. A teacher should have the lesson plan on paper or in his head
and make sure that he will get all the materials he needs where he needs them.

Few things scream ‘panic!’ more than a long streak of teacher frantically rummaging through
books and bags at the last minute. Organization allows a teacher to assume an air of calmness, and
everyone feels more comfortable with a teacher who appears to be in control.

Note that while a fortunate few can wing lessons with confidence, this is because they have taught
before, know the patterns and can improvise on them. Not many of us can count on being able to
display such virtuosity when we are just starting out, so don’t try to.

To be organized, teachers must have some activities in reserve for the back end of the lesson. It
can be hard work if they have finished all of their prepared material ten minutes ahead of time.

Being Enthusiastic- Seeing people learn is a

rewarding experience and teachers should
remember to enjoy it. They should keep a smile
on their face. Praise pupils when they do well;
lend encouragement when they don’t. Engage
them with words, gestures, humor and attitude.
Let a teacher’s own enthusiasm be infectious
and the classroom will be a much better place
for it.

To be enthusiastic, a teacher should always start

and finish his lessons with a positive word. He
should always think positively, think a bright side of life and remember happy moments of life.
He should put aside all his problems and face his class with a smile.

Being God-fearing- A teacher who fears God is spiritually motivated; and has a transformed
character who reflects the image of Christ in his life. He is a model of character. To be Christ-like,
a teacher normally avoids to be absent or late or to be impatient or disorganized and sad. He

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manifests the character of Christ of being punctual, patient, organized, happy, committed and
dedicated to his chosen profession. He does his job to the best that he can do.

So there we have it:

punctuality, patience,
organization, enthusiasm and
God-fearing. Cultivating
these habits will surely go a
long way towards making a
teacher, his pupils and his
superior and co-teachers
happier. May God bless us all.

Reference: https://blog.gaijinpot.com/4-habits-highly-successful-teachers/

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