History is one of the most enjoyable subjects in high school. For this spirit to be felt and interest in the subject be sustained, it requires a great deal of commitment on the teacher’s side. A teacher has to be well equipped with a number of virtues for him/her to facilitate teaching effectively and efficiently. As a high school history teacher, I would ensure I possess the following qualities and even instill some of them on my students.
Empathy is an important virtue necessary for one to bond with students. It would enable the teacher to put himself in his student’s shoes and understand them better. Ability to understand one’s students means one is able to identify with his/her students and reason with them. Empathy allows the teacher to relate with the students on the same level, to raise them up when they are down and to appreciate them when they are up.
Secondly, is the ability to be students’ role model. A teacher’s ability to make his/her students look up to him/her is awesome. The students should be able to identify themselves with their teacher and used him or her as a yardstick. They should be able to use a teacher as a mirror in which they see themselves. By students looking up to their teacher as their idol, it creates a sense of confidence in the teacher and what he/she teaches. To be able to captivate students’ attention, a teacher ought to have a good command of moral authority.
Patience is another important virtue in education. Students learn and understand at different rates. There are slow learners as well as quick learners. A teacher should therefore, be able to consider both groups of students. He/she should not be too fast as to leave the slow learners hanging nor should he be too slow to inconvenience the fast learners.
Finally, a teacher should be able to set clear and attainable objectives. When designing a course outline, for example, he/she should emphasize on practicability and realistic goals.