Reflections on the Ideal Teacher

I can never be a "perfect Teacher", however I am striving to become a better teacher by working towards the following ideals.
1. True vocation must be a given.
An ideal teacher loves their work and feels in complete accord with their task. A teacher may some times experience despair and frustration, as do all human beings, but in their heart's core shoul be the conviction that the work they are doing is absolutely right for them at this time of their life, and they are thankful for the opportunity to influence the coming generation in the most positive and life-affirming manner.
2. Valuing the individual.
An ideal teacher loves and value every student. This requires effort, the effort to maintain positivity , equanimity and openness to each student,which comes from individual qualities of compassion and selflessness and ability to put aside feelings of like and dislike.It also requires the effort to understand each individual student.Impartial and thorough practise of observation and continual reflection and reassessment of one's perceptions of the students must occur..As John Hattie says, expert teachers have high respect for students.Glasser mentions being loved and valued as one of the 5 elements that drive all human beings. In Steiner schools Students are so valued that a class teacher makes a 7 year commitment for the duration of their primary school years.
As Vygotsky emphasised, children learn through social interaction.A teacher who genuinely values every individual, and communicates this through the way they act and relate, is also modelling this behaviour to the class.The teacher supports a culture of tolerance ,acceptance and valuing which becomes a pattern of behaviour within the whole class. Each student feels valued by both teacher, and very importantly, by their peers.In this environment sense of identity and self esteem can flourish and the students can learn and grow.
Furthermore, an ideal teacher also values and recognises their colleagues and the families of their students.There can be no double standards of respect and admiration for students, but disapproval and distance from the adults in the school community.If a culture of respect and acceptance is to be cultivated, it must be holistic.
3. Being creative.
An ideal teacher is flexible and creative, and looks for ways to facilitate creativity in the students. According to Bloom's Taxonomy, creativity is the pinnacle of the learning process,arrived at after critical reflection,evaluation and analysis. The creative teacher can practise a real Art of Education.whereby the developing human being is the work of art .Creativity enables the teacher to find solutions and work in an inclusive way with the students. The best lessons in my own career were those in which the perfect balance was struck between appropriateness of the material for the students, and my own confidence and deep understanding of the material. This gave rise to a feeling of ease in which my creativity could occur.It was always accompanied by a sense of freedom,and richness of experience.There was humour, beauty, affection and excitement for everyone and the students would be stimulated and inspired.The creative teacher can practise a real Art of Education.whereby the developing human being is the work of art .Creativity enables the teacher to find solutions and work in an inclusive way with the students.

4.Always learning.
An ideal teacher never stops learning.In fact they should feel at the end of each year that they have learned more than they have taught. A teacher with an open mind, who does not fool themselves into thinking they have all the answers, is a teacher who keeps step with their students.This process necessitates continual critical reflection. There are always new discoveries to be made about the complex human beings we teach. There are always new and creative ways to facilitate learning, there are always new and deeper ways to penetrate our understanding of the subject matter we teach.There are always new developments occurring in the world around us and impacting upon us and we have to meet them.
The creative teacher can practise a real Art of Education.whereby the developing human being is the work of art .Creativity enables the teacher to find solutions and work in an inclusive way with the students. The best lessons in my own career were those in which the perfect balance was struck between appropriateness of the material for the students, and my own confidence and deep understanding of the material. This gave rise to a feeling of ease in which my creativity could occur.It was always accompanied by a sense of freedom,and richness of experience.There was humour, beauty, affection and excitement for everyone and the students would be stimulated and inspired.

5.Fosters social harmony.
An ideal teacher is awake to the social dynamics among their students. As Glasser proposes, young people need to have a secure environment, a sense of power and a sense of freedom. Wherever any degree of bullying or intimidation is present, the victim is deprived of these 3 elements, which leads to deep unhappiness and loss of self-esteem. The perpetrator, if unchecked, is in moral jeopardy.To prevent a culture of powerplaying an ideal teacher not only encourages co-operation and collaboration within the classroom, but is vigilant in observing the details of social interaction among his students.
An expert teacher is always respected by their students and in many cases inspires their love and devotion. The effect of such a teacher having a quiet and tactful word to address a socially inharmonious situation can be very effectiv

6.Understands how students learn.
An ideal teacher understands the complexities of learning. They are aware of the stages of cognitive development that human beings undergo, and know the right time to introduce and develop the concepts to be learnt. They are always conscious of their students’ readiness for tackling a new area of learning, making sure that their zone of proximal development is accessed. They understand the varieties of ways students learn and the multiple intelligences that need to be stimulated in order for learning to occur, and are aware of how these intelligences operate in individual students.They understand how to structure a lesson so that the necessary encoding can take place for the students to
become deep learners and ultimately critical thinkers and creative human beings.

7.Is an expert in their subject.
This does not come at the top of the list, because an expert in a subject will not necessarily be able to teach that subject. Having said that, however, it is undeniable that the best learning can take place when a teacher knows their subject thoroughly and is so conversant with their material that they can be free to improvise, create and innovate. With the confidence of deep understanding they will be able to guide their students to make their own discoveries and help them explore with greater freedom.

8.Is grounded and well-organised.
Students need to feel secure and confident that their teacher is down to earth and practical.An ideal teacher thinks ahead and establishes clear boundaries.They follow through and deliver and hold good to their promises unless exceptional circumstances prevent them. They maintain a clean functional environment. They are enthusiastic but not unrealistic regarding what time will allow.

9.Is a good colleague and member of the school community.
An ideal teacher cultivates excellent working relationships with their colleagues.As MargaretWheatlley
points out ,there is an art to being a well –functioning member of an organization. It requires the ability to listen with open interest, to share and confide, offer help and ask for help, and to speak one’s mind in a non-combative manner. An ideal teacher upholds and understands the policies and ethos of their school and feels well –-suited to the school they have chosen. Furthermore, an ideal teacher takes an active part in the greater community of teachers and educators and of the wider community of people working toward the progress of human evolution.