Teaching Quality Improvement

Teaching is an art and teacher is an artist. This art can be learnt, improved and extended. Every year a teacher starts with a blank canvas and ends with his/her masterwork.    It is a great job in the world that takes a lot of heart. It is the art of making minds, personalities, character and much more. Teacher has the responsibility to ensure all round development of the coming generations which includes physical, social, mental, intellectual, emotional and personal development.

Technically speaking, teaching is the process of facilitation and mediation between the learner and curriculum. Curriculum is a plan of intended outcomes to be achieved by the learners through the process of teaching. One who claims to be a good teacher must have the ability to recognize the uniqueness of the individuals and work with them accordingly. 

Being a multi-facial job, it is difficult to enumerate all the qualities of good teaching. However, in order to narrow down the concept, the qualities of effective teaching can be classified in the following three broad categories, which can enable the planners to determine quality indicators of teaching.

Subject-matter Knowledge:  A teacher is expected to teach a specific subject, which not only requires full command of the subject but also requires the best possible way of communication according to the needs of students. A good subject expert without the quality of good communication skills is of no use. A teacher must be an authority in his/her subject. He/she will be able to satisfy students thirst in a greater perspective of life-long learning. He/she makes the students to explore the essentials of a particular subject.

A knowledgeable teacher encourages his/her students to find out ways of seeking knowledge in a particular area. The scope of knowledge is expanding day by day through research and innovations. A good teacher keeps himself/herself continuously updated in the field of his/her own expertise as well as in the ways of presenting his subject.

Performance: A good teacher is known and recognized by the performance he/she delivers. This category of teachers’ qualities encompass all professional demands required for effective teaching. Classroom management, application of a good and result oriented strategies and techniques, keeping students motivated and the abilities and creativity to deal with the day to day challenges and individual differences. 

Performance is an alternate of the application of professional knowledge. It can be judged by the learning environment he/she establishes in the classroom. Conducive learning environment demands for the effective use of technology, audio visual aids and learning activities planned for the engagement of students. Teaching is a job that requires pre-planning all the time. Lesson planning, time management, resource management, knowing students’ needs individually and the achievement and consolidation of learning outcomes enrich the teacher’s performance.

A good teacher is always capable of continuous students’ assessment. Learning is a continuous process and same is the case with assessment. It is an important quality of teaching to know the tools and techniques of assessment and apply them in real classroom environment. It is basically assessment that enable the teacher to plan effectively. In short, performance of the teachers actually depends on the professional growth and smartness of the teachers. Continuous professional development is the key to active performance.

Conduct: conduct is a set of qualities which encompasses all the essential personal qualities of teacher. Behavior, manners, sense of dress, sense of humor, dedication and commitment, cultural and social soundness, positive attitude and punctuality are the qualities falling under the domain of conduct.

Sense of humor makes the teaching fun. It can easily defuse tense situations and creates an environment conducive for learning where students feel comfortable and safe. Similarly, open mindedness is an asset of teachers that helps the teacher to go with-the-flow, listen to all the possible ideas and identify new things with a positive attitude. The quality of leadership is also essential for taking initiatives. Thus, students look to their leaders as a role model. It is the leadership quality to trust others and delegate powers as and when required.

Moral integrity is another important quality that a teacher must have. It demands for a model behavior that teacher and community expect of their coming generations. Students are the best judges of their teachers. They can easily identify ‘fake personalities’. Not to lie, respect and kindness, tolerance and observance of school rules are as important for teachers as for the students. Great teachers inspire their students by practice what they preach in the classroom.

In conclusion, it is almost difficult to enlist all the qualities of teachers that make teaching great. But the qualities mentioned here are enough to determine the role of good teachers. Teaching is a multi-dimensional profession and demands for a sense of accountability and continuous self-reflection.

21^st century teachers have to look around first in this perspective and keep themselves updated for the challenges ahead. Sooner or later, teaching quality is going to be linked with performance and promotion in the coming years. Observable indicators of quality teaching is the agenda of negotiation placed in front of IMU KPK.