Whenever students walk into a classroom they will think one of two things: is this a class to actually learn something or just one you simply need to survive through boredom, cringy teachers, or awkwardness.

Whether or not it’s type 1 or type 2 depends almost entirely on the teacher.

According to research by UNESCO, a good teacher is not only knowledgeable but also well-trained, supportive, and committed to student development. However, not all teachers meet those standards. With that being said, many students no longer expect to have good teachers anymore; they just hope their teachers know what they are doing.

To me, the three most important qualities for a good teacher to have are: they need to be able to teach, they need to spend time efficiently, and they must respect their students.

1. They actually teach:

Although this sounds obvious, not all teachers can teach well. Teachers should always be familiar with what they are teaching. By this, I mean being certain about answers. For example, when students ask questions about homework or class assignments, teachers should be able to explain why an answer is correct and how to solve the problem, not just give the final answer and not knowing the explanation to it.

This is important because students depend on teachers for accurate explanations. If a teacher seems unsure or constantly needs to look up answers, it can make learning slow and more difficult. When teachers are confident about their subjects, students are more likely to trust them and stay engaged in the lesson.

2. They know not to waste class time:

Teachers should finish teaching everything on time by following syllabus to use class time to the fullest. Students shouldn’t have to or teach themselves because teachers didn’t finish teaching. Even worse, some teachers may stop teaching after finishing early and leave students to do independent study in every class until the test.

Additionally, teachers shouldn’t use class time to do activities unrelated to class. It’s inappropriate and it doesn’t help students learn.

Inappropriate activities can include:

• Turning the class into another subject. I had a teacher who forced us to dance with her to the song “Shake It Off” when she broke up with her boyfriend when we were supposed to be learning how to write. I don’t mean teachers can’t be creative but they should consider whether activities are relevant and necessary.
• Play unrelated videos. Some teachers play videos about AI development or recent news about technology during class time. Although they may say these videos help students stay updated, these videos are often unrelated to the lesson. In reality, some teachers use them to extend their own break time instead of continuing to teach.
• Tell students their entire life story. Students love teachers that share their personal stories in class. However, we don’t need to know everything. My last physics teacher could talk about his life for the whole class; at one point we thought he was just making stories up since the stories didn’t match up and never made sense. Stories can be good as a small break but they should know what is appropriate and not make it the main topic of the class.

3. They respect and care about students:

A good teacher respects students and their work and values students’ opinions, choices, and personal boundaries.Guiding and controlling are different. Good teachers don’t force students to do things they dislike.

For example, I had a teacher who never taught in class and feared that we would tell our parents so she forced us to sign a contract to keep her lack of teaching secret. We weren’t allowed to leave the classroom until we signed. This made students uncomfortable. Fortunately, she was eventually fired.

Moreover, teachers need to treat students equally. There shouldn’t be bias or favor towards some students and teachers should never make students feel unimportant. Teachers should provide the same treatment to every student including their language used.

For example, my homeroom teacher shows favor toward certain students. She calls the students she is close to “son,” “daughter,” or “honey,” while she calls others by saying “hey you” or only using their full names.

Lastly, teachers shouldn’t bring negativity from their personal lives to work. I understand people get angry, but teachers should control their anger and not smash things when mad. One time my teacher got mad at a student and smashed the bookshelf so hard that the whole thing collapsed and everything fell apart. After that, the students had to help put everything back in place. This created fear and discomfort in the classroom instead of a safe learning environment. Being mean to students makes students hate class which can cause students to then hate subjects they might have been good at.

Why is having a good teacher necessary?

Good teachers inspire students, create positive learning environments, and make students want to learn. Having a good teacher can make school feel much less like a prison and more like a place we actually want to be. On the flip side, having a bad teacher will make students hate the subject and treat the class like a joke. Students may start praying for teachers’ absence or celebrating when the teacher is gone.

A teacher’s attitude and teaching style can greatly influence not only academic performance but also how students view education in the future. This is why having a good teacher is necessary; teachers do not just teach lessons, but also shape students’ growth and mindsets.