Effects of a Good Teacher

I think the easiest way to learn something is by learning it from someone who not only knows what he or she is talking about, but who also can keep it so simple that the students can grasp what they are being taught. An enthusiastic instructor has a better chance of teaching successfully. A good instructor should also be able to motivate students to learn by keeping the subject interesting so that the student will pay attention. Consequently, the student is in a good frame of mind to receive the education. The end result is that the student will retain what he has learned.

A good instructor should also keep the subject interesting, which plain and simply makes it easier to learn. First off, having a good instructor set a tempo that helps the class pay attention to what is being taught, keeping the class alert. This can be accomplished by the teacher enthusiastically instructing his class. Students can sense when a teacher is enjoying what they are doing. So, the students will draw from that enthusiasm which makes it easier to learn because then they don’t really mind putting the time into the class. Being somewhere you want to be is definitely more enjoyable than the opposite! Instructors that smile, joke around a little, keep it light and laugh, are usually thought of as being a cool teacher. Having a “cool” instructor can motivate you to learn.

Secondly, an instructor who can motivate students to learn by action, thought, history or whatever works at the moment, gives the student a reason to learn. Having a reason to learn sets the bar for goals that the student wants to accomplish. When the bar has been set, the students now become interested in what they are learning. Finally, when an instructor reaches the stage that the students are interested in the subject, the students will want to come back again and again until their thirst for knowledge is quenched. Having an interest in something is the best teacher of all, because the students not only want to learn, they want to learn for their own self interest. For example, having an interest in a subject that might lead to a career is better than taking a class you have to take because someone else says so.

In conclusion, instructors who enthusiastically educate, motivate, and keep the class interesting, will position the students to put in the time necessary to learn, pay attention to the details and stay interested because they are interested. The outcome will not be judged by a high grade point average, but more importantly by what they do with the knowledge they have!