What Skills Do I Need to Become a Teacher?

‘I touch the future. I teach.’

– Christa McAuliffe

Being a teacher is an honorable role to take on in society, as you are responsible for teaching, guiding, and empowering people for a progressive world - especially the new generation. Although it is a career that many people take for granted, it should be one of the most admired jobs, just like being a doctor or a lawyer.

‘Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.’

– Malcolm X

This being said, it is fascinating to notice everyone could be considered a teacher and a student at the same time. Everyone has something to teach and something to learn, even a child does. 

‘To teach is to learn twice over.’

– Joseph Joubert

However, while teaching comes naturally to some people, others have to build on their skills. So what skills do I need to become a teacher? There are specific skills a person must have in order to become an effective and world-changing teacher. Are you curious to know what they are?

1. Definition of teacher

2. Why is being a teacher important?

3. How do I know I am meant to be a teacher?

4. What skills do I need to become a teacher?

5. What are the benefits of being a teacher?

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1. Definition of teacher

A teacher is a person who educates, explains something, assists with instructions, and illuminates others’ minds with the intent of helping them learn about a specific topic. 

‘I am not a teacher, but an awakener.’

– Robert Frost

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a teacher is “someone whose job is to teach (usually) in a school or college… a person who instructs or trains others.”

2. Why is being a teacher important?

‘Everyone who remembers his own education remembers teachers, not methods and techniques.

The teacher is the heart of the educational system.’

– Sidney Hook

By reading this beautiful statement by Sidney Hook, one could understand the importance of teachers in our world. Being responsible for training and guiding the new generation is a heavy, but venerable part to play in society. Afterall, they will be responsible for our future’s destiny. 

Of course there are multiple types of teachers, such as a high school teacher, a university professor, a private tutor, a CPR instructor, a camp counselor, etc. Additionally, there are tons of jobs a teacher would exceed at. Some examples are: 

• Writer

• Translator

• Therapist

• Customer Care Specialist 

• Social Worker

• Fitness Trainer

• Editor

• School Counselor

These were just some amazing jobs related to our noble career of being a teacher. If you are a teacher and you are looking to change careers, but do not want to go far off your field, consider looking into some of the jobs mentioned above. 

3. How do I know I am meant to be a teacher?

There are multiple ways to find out how to know if you are meant to be a teacher. The most common way is through career assessment tests. However, how about an easier and faster way by quickly answering the following questions in your own head? 

• Do you feel like you have a gift for giving?

• Do you like working with people?

• Do you notice a huge smile on your face when tutoring someone? 

• Do you feel a deep drive when guiding people or instructing them?

• Do you feel an internal happiness when someone succeeds right after you helped them?

• Are you constantly concerned with humanities’ future?

• Do you value education?

• Do you like serving others?

• Are you a patient person?

• Do you have a good sense of humor?

If the answer to most of those questions was a ‘yes,’ then dear friend, you are meant to be a teacher. Congratulations! 

4. What skills do I need to become a teacher?

In order to become a GREAT teacher, one needs to master & feel involved with each and every one of the following abilities listed below:

• Passion: It is true that most jobs require passion to get the work done; however, being a teacher requires extra passion, as it deals with undiscovered minds ready to be enlightened - minds that are ready to take on the world. Therefore, if you are not passionate about educating, guiding, and giving, perhaps you should reconsider if being a teacher is really meant for you. (Note: nobody wants to be remembered as the “annoyed,” “stressed,” or “uptight” teacher, right?) To be a teacher is to serve, to give, and to practice unselfishness. 

‘A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary.’

–Thomas Carruthers

• Patience: This one is connected to passion. A teacher’s middle name should be ‘patience.’ All joking aside, this is a must-have skill if you are planning on pursuing the teaching career. With educating, comes questions, doubts, different people which will require different teaching techniques, etc. If you aren’t a patient person but would love to be and take on this noble career, consider joining yoga classes, downloading meditation apps or listening to meditation YouTube videos, including exercise & a balanced lifestyle to your current one - anything that would help you out achieving this goal.  

• Adaptability & Flexibility: We just talked about different teaching techniques, right? That’s because the method that works for a class or for a person, might not work for another. Consequently, adaptability & flexibility are essential teaching skills to have in your pocket when embarking in this journey. Be aware that you will have to adapt, make classes more interesting, use all your tools, invite guest speakers, use visuals, etc - anything to make your classes engaging and interesting until the end. Another reason to work on this ability is related to emergencies and unforeseen situations, such as a health emergency, you will need to know how to deal with these types of situations.

• Technical Skills: Here is another way to be an effective teacher in the classroom; use your technical skills with creativity. Of course you won’t need to be a tech genius, but some computer knowledge will make your classes easier and more entertaining. In addition, you could use your technical skills for your own advantage, such as making spreadsheets to organize yourself, or creating powerpoint presentations for your lectures, or even schedule a zoom call since almost everything is now online because of COVID-19 This is a great ability to have, especially if you’re planning on becoming an online teacher. 

• Creativity: Being creative is key when it comes to teaching, and I’m not only talking about technical skills. Creativity can be incorporated in lectures, activities, speeches, and coming up with different ways of explaining the same subject - which we already saw is very important as people tend to learn in alternative ways. A great example of this is utilizing resources like online platforms; ABCmouse, for instance, offers engaging math games that make lessons more engaging and fun for students.

Here is a quick question for you, do you remember sitting down in class and feeling boredom because it doesn’t seem engaging or interesting enough? This is exactly why this skill has to constantly be worked on, be creative and reinvent yourself. 

• Sense of Humor: Along with creativity, sense of humor plays a big role in the skills needed to become a teacher. Some will say this isn’t a mandatory ability to have; however, you will be way more successful as a teacher if you have a good sense of humor. Why? Well.. making your students laugh is a form of engagement and will make them more prompt to want to learn. Additionally, a sense of humor should be used when a student challenges you with a question that many would think is disrespectful (with the intent to challenge your knowledge) - use your sense of humor to come up with an unexpected, but respectful answer. 

• Respectfulness: Read this one over and over, please. Being a professor doesn’t mean everyone else is wrong, so avoid the “know-it-all” attitude. Just like we covered in the introduction, we all have something to learn and something to teach. Therefore, remember to be respectful and don’t be biased with your students. Nonetheless, it is important to own your students' respect and set the tone right away for a more welcoming and safe environment.  

• Approachableness: Once you’ve sent the tone, make sure to still be approachable. If students feel too intimidated to speak with you, they will not ask questions nor participate and will most likely go home full of doubts. This is an essential skill if you’re planning on becoming a teacher. Thus, spend some time working on your body language, voice tone, and teaching approaches - and remember to know how to take criticism from others, as this will show how approachable you can be. In order words, work on your communication aptitudes.

• Communication: This is, obviously, one of the most important skills you will need to become a teacher. When you’re dealing with others, communication is key - this includes body language, listening, and speaking. When teaching, there is information that has to be passed on and understood by the recipient, there is information that has to be heard, and information that has to be read. This being said, the way you communicate will determine how effective you’re in your profession and therefore, will demand strong interpersonal (people) skills.  

• Organization: It is significantly important to be organized when being a teacher. There are moments where you will find yourself correcting a bunch of tests, monitoring a class, and thinking of how to prepare your next lecture all at the same time. Yes, another synonym for ‘teacher’ could be ‘multitasking’ - no joking. This goes to say that if you know how to manage your time, you will definitely succeed in this career.

• Commitment: After reading all of the skills necessary to become a teacher, do you feel overwhelmed? That is why another must-have ability is commitment. Although a teacher has longer breaks and great perks we will cover later during the article, they also need to dedicate a lot of personal time for their students. Teachers tend to work after hours and can’t usually take many days off as their students depend on them.

• Leadership: Another skill to have as a teacher is to know how to be a leader, especially if you work with a large number of students, such as a high school or university class. Why? Because the amount of students can generate side conversations, echoing, and lack of attention. Showing leadership is important when leading and instructing others. 

• Academic Knowledge: Lastly, having a strong academic knowledge will give you the tools to be a better teacher:

- Consider getting a Master’s Degree or Ph.D in order to continue to educate yourself.

- Participate in events & conferences to learn current teaching methods and new topics in your field of expertise.

- Choose to read/listen to books/audiobooks, articles, podcasts and researches to broaden your knowledge and assist your students.

5. What are the benefits of being a teacher?

Believe it or not, becoming a teacher comes with a few perks. As most of you can guess, yes, school teachers and university professors usually have a longer break as their calendar matches their respective students. This way, some professionals choose to dedicate their time for hobbies, such as travelling and practicing sports, or to learn new languages, or just relax and hang out with family and friends. 

In addition to longer breaks throughout the year, teachers also receive health insurance, retirement benefits, and a yearly salary - isn’t it amazing? To be more specific when it comes to vacations, teachers usually have a total of 8 weeks of paid time off during summer & winter break, as well as paid holidays. This is something that many forget when choosing their professional career. 

Leaving aside vacations, salary, and healthy & retirement benefits, this noble profession has the power of touching people and changing their lives, therefore, our lives forever. It is almost like a super power, where although many could be teachers, not all can be great, memorable teachers. 

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As mentioned previously, while teaching comes naturally to some, others find themselves having to build on their skills a bit more. Nonetheless, practicing and looking deeper into the What Skills Do I Need to Become a Teacher? will set you off to a good start. 

‘The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.’

― William Arthur Ward

If you feel ready to join us in this inspiration journey, make sure to apply for your dream job across Europe and have fun pursuing this rewarding career.