"A good teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." - Henry Adams.
Every teacher wants to be a good teacher, but what is this myth about being a 'good teacher? Who is it? What are the characteristics of a good teacher? And how can you become a good teacher?
Teaching jobs are often lucrative and satisfying for people who love to teach. I am a teacher too, though I do not think myself as a very good teacher, but I know one thing that majority of my students do love me, and I guess this is the point where good things start to happen.
I was thinking about what are the characteristics of a good teacher and how can I become a good teacher? or Which characteristics and qualities should a good teacher possess? So I came up with some qualities which I found most relevant for a person involve in a teaching job. I believe if a teacher possesses the following characteristics and qualities, he/she can become a very good teacher with a lot of fan base too.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD TEACHER:

Following are the characteristics of a good teacher:

1. Friendly and Congenial:
I think the most important characteristic of a good teacher can have is to be friendly and congenial with his students. It is a plus point for a teacher, if his students can share their problems with him, without being afraid or hesitant. I think students have always thoughts their teachers as their enemies (in a funny sense though :p). With this mentality, they can never be close to each other, and besides that how many teachers did you like who were NOT friendly, and were rather arrogant and rude?

2. Personality:
A good teacher has a very good personality; there is no second thought about it. Students always get attracted to teachers with good personality and characteristics which leads to better communication, understanding and ultimately good results. Everyone can have a good, decent, likable and presentable personality. Just dress sensibly good, smell good, and be a little gentle and kind. That's all.

3. Knowledge and Teacher's Education:
Another important characteristic of a good teacher is his knowledge and own education. As there is a saying that 'a teacher is only as good as his knowledge is'. After all, he is doing a teacher's job, which is to teach. If he himself lacks in the knowledge of a certain subject that he teaches, he is never going to make a name for himself as a good teacher. So, sign up with only that subjects which you have really good expertise; and it is a moral duty of every teacher too. Otherwise, it is not worth it.

4. A Good Communicator:
One of the very important characteristics of a good teacher is his communication skills. He should be a very good speaker. This characteristic will benefit a teacher in several ways. For example:
i) If his communication skills are good, he can convey his lectures with better skill and results.
ii) If a teacher is a good speaker, his class strength increases automatically. People love to hear a person who he can speak well enough. There is always a shortage of good speakers in the world ;)

5. A Good Listener:
Apart from being a good communicator, a good teacher should also have the characteristic of being an even better listener. As there is Turkish proverb:
"If speaking is silver; then listening is gold."
Remember, a good listener will always have many friends and fans. Because people do not want to hear every time, they need persons who can listen to them as well. And when a good teacher develops this patient quality in himself, he starts to become a great teacher.

6. Good sense of humor:
A good teacher should also have the quality and characteristic of having a good sense of humor. It is a logical fact, that a person generally teaches the next generation and as they are younger than the teacher, they are expected to have more fun in the class too. So, a good teacher is the one who can cope up with his sense of humor, and with his strong communication skills and personality, can also maintain the discipline of the class.

7. Be Kind:
The last but obviously one of the most important characteristics of a good teacher to have in his box of qualities. He should be a gentle, kind, chivalrous and a benevolent person. Students should love him, and when they do love him, they idolize him. Then ultimately, they will respect him, will do his homework and eventually will bring greater outputs and results.