What is Good Teaching?

 “A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on cold iron.” — Horace Mann

“They may forget what you said but they will never forget how you made them feel.” – Carol Buchner

“The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.” — Kahlil Gibran

Books, Journals and Accessories like Computer, White / Black boards, LCD  projectors, etc. apart from  a serene environment  are integral part of teaching.

All students must have  had hundreds of teachers in their lifetimes and a very few of these teachers they would remember as being exceptionally good. What are the qualities that combine to create an excellent, memorable teacher? Why do some teachers inspire students to work three times harder than they normally would, while others inspire students to avoid their classes ? Why do students learn more from some teachers than others?

 Four essential qualities that distinguish exceptional teachers based on  an experiment asking the students to identify the qualities they feel most important for a good teacher is identified as core areas.

• Knowledge – Knowledge of the subject is a pre-requisite. You must be an expert in your field-both theoretical and practical –preferably with an industry interface and experience.
• Communication skills - ability to communicate the knowledge and expertise to students in a simple and receptive fashion. Give students an answer and they can solve one problem, but show students the techniques needed to find the answer for themselves and they can  become self-sufficient in the field. Knowledge is worthless unless it is delivered to the students in a form they can understand.
• Interest – Good teachers are able to generate interest in the subject they are discussing with clarity avoiding any ambiguity. Good teachers work hard to make their material relevant, realistic, practical and exciting.
• Respect – Good teachers have a deep-seated concern and respect for the students in the classroom.

Conclusion

“The mediocre teacher tells.  The good teacher explains.  The superior teacher demonstrates.  The great teacher inspires”.  ~William Arthur Ward

When one strive and work to become a good teacher to create a good class, without these four core qualities, good teaching will just not take place. The positive seeds teachers plant in their students keep on growing throughout their lives.

“The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book”.  ~Author Unknown

“What a teacher writes on the blackboard of life can never be erased”.  ~Author Unknown

“A good teacher is like a candle – it consumes itself to light the way for others”.  ~Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, translated from Turkish

Prof. Bhushan Manchanda

Associate Professor & Head Corporate Affairs

Department of Management Studies