This post will not be another list of good teacher characters. There are already many lists. Some come from serious studies. Some come from just personal experiences or judge(like this one highly recommended). Some come from student or teacher self-reports(read this student self-report). Well these lists of qualities of good teachers help little in explaining how teachers become good teachers. What I want to do here is think about the most critical character that make a teacher becoming a good teacher.
The best answer (I can give for now) is being serious of their teaching job is the most important character in becoming a good teacher. Being serious means the teacher really care about students’ learning in class and take enough efforts to make it better. The efforts include making the place, understanding students, building connections, organizing cognitive burdens, trying different ways or strategies, critical thinking and examine their own practices, keeping learning themselves, making meanings and so on. Well, maybe it is cheating answer because it nearly included all the characters in the lists. But how can teachers become better if they don’t care teaching at all.
The truth is that I care then I want to improve.
