What Does it Take?

A question I've been asking myself a lot lately is "What does it take to be a good teacher?" This is such a hard question for me to answer because I feel that there are so many aspects of good teaching. I think a good teacher needs to care. This may seem trivial to mention, but I feel that it is important even after 5 or 10 or 15 years that a teacher still maintain the same passion for teaching as they did their first 3 or 4 years. I also feel it is important for teachers to maintain strong relationships with families of students. Getting to know the students and their families well at the beginning of the year will make for a strong bond of trust with everyone in the classroom. Another aspect of teaching I find to be very important is to stay up to date. It is important that teachers learn about new strategies, techniques, and technology. If teachers can stay up to date then their classroom will be the best learning environment it can be. The world around us is always changing, therefore education should be following. Students are interested in many different things and these are changing everyday. If a teacher knows his/her students well then they will know what these students like and are interested in. The teacher should incorporate these things into the classroom and the children's learning to keep them interested and engaged. I also think that this will help the students to see why what their learning is important and how it pertains to their daily life.