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“ Good teaching comes from a strong sense of self,” says Britt. ... And, consider inviting other teachers to observe and give you feedback on your strengths in the classroom.

How to Identify and Maximize Your Unique Talents and Strengths as an Educator

As teachers, we often spend time devoted to turning our weaknesses around when we should be focusing on what we already bring to our students: our own particular approach to the classroom.

More Than One Way to Teach

Teachers aren’t defined by one specific set of characteristics. “There’s no cookie-cutter template for teachers,” says Britt. “The most important thing is to know your strengths.” Trust in who you are as a teacher and let it shape your experience, from lesson-planning to instruction. “When teachers leverage their strengths in the classroom,” says Carol Vernon, certified executive coach with Communication Matters, “they are more naturally engaged with their students and students know it!”

On the flip slide, it’s not productive to focus on what you don’t do well, because, let’s face it, everyone has weaknesses. “If you just focus on what’s wrong, that doesn’t create excellence,” says Kristin Gregory, senior strengths consultant with Gallup, ““our greatest opportunity for significant and fast improvement lies in our strengths.”

Identifying Your Strengths as a Teacher

Your teaching is shaped by your strengths. “One way to identify them to yourself,” says Vernon, “is to identify the activities that you do regularly that make you most energized and engaged.” Strengths are the traits that you find yourself coming back to again and again, regardless of what you may have originally planned. In contrast, the types of activities that you find most draining, or the ones you never do, may rely too much on skills that you have not fully developed. For example, one teacher may thrive at teaching in an active and noisy classroom, another may prefer to instruct via quieter, more focused classroom discussions.

We all want to make up for our weaknesses, but there’s little point in trying to go completely against your grain. “In the classroom,” says Britt, “your students want and need you to be authentic, and know when you’re trying to be something you’re not.”

Of course, as a teacher, you naturally engage with lots of different personalities. And, at some point, your personality may clash with the personality of one of your student’s. “When this happens,” says Britt, “it’s important to remember that you are dealing with human beings who are developing and growing, so there may be a need to adjust your style so that you can support all learners.” Regardless of your natural strengths, it’s also important to be flexible and adjust when necessary. “Students who challenge you,” says Britt, “provide a wonderful opportunity for you to grow and adjust.”

 If you want to learn more about your strengths, the first step is to know yourself. “Good teaching comes from a strong sense of self,” says Britt. Jot down notes about the activities that excite you (they’re probably the ones that get checked off your to-do list first), and those that you consider drudgery. Make note of observations from other teachers about how you teach. For example, do they comment on your organization, your humor or your creativity? And, consider inviting other teachers to observe and give you feedback on your strengths in the classroom.

Teaching Strength: Creativity

Definition: You’re constantly thinking of new and interesting ways to conceptualize ideas and planning new projects.

Use It: Creative thinking can be taught. Model creative thinking, such as synthesizing multiple sources into a new idea, for your students. Then, challenge your students to be content creators by giving them a project to work on that requires them to review and integrate lots of information to create something new such as a book or presentation. Make sure, however, there’s no “right” answer.

Teaching Strength: Curiosity

Definition: You’re always interested in exploring and discovering new things. You want to experience things just to have done them.

Use It: Curiosity is all about asking questions. See how many questions your students can come up with around one broad topic or essential question: What is fire? How do dolphins communicate? How can we solve global warming? Introduce famous mysteries from history/literature and see what questions emerge? Post the questions and comments on sticky notes or notecards and watch students’ curiosity spread across the room.

Teaching Strength: Open-Mindedness

Definition: You enjoy hearing about and thinking about new ideas.

Use It: Try a Consider-It Cube. Using a cube cut-out, write an idea or proposition in the center (i.e., “we should elect a class president”) and have students consider five different ways to think about that idea, from different perspectives or toward different goals. Students can use the completed cubes to discuss and debate different ideas.

Teaching Strength: Perspective

Definition: You’re able to make sense of complex situations and provide advice for others.

Use It: Videotape yourself explaining those tough-to-explain concepts and keep a bank online of your explanations so students (and maybe other teachers) can access them for homework, extra practice or when that concept comes up again.

Teaching Strength: Courage

Definition: You embrace challenges and act even when no one has your back.

Use It: Spend some time each week reading a newspaper clip or watching a video clip of a recent courageous act. Then, discuss what it takes to be courageous, and, as you review more courageous acts, identify similarities and differences among people who act courageously.

Teaching Strength: Persistence

Definition: You always finish what you start regardless of what road-blocks arise.

Use It: Post a math challenge problem every week that it will take students a significant amount of time to solve. Then, model persistence by showing them how you come back to the problem and encourage them to do the same until you, or a student, solves it.

Teaching Strength: Kindness

Definition: You enjoy doing work and favors for other people.

Use It: Create a structure for students to communicate what they need from and what they can give to one another. For example, if one student needs help studying for a math test, provide a way for students to communicate that (a favor chart, morning meeting announcements or request box) and time for them to demonstrate those acts of kindness.

Teaching Strength: Optimism

Definition: You always look on the bright side and are quick to turn a bad situation right side up.

Use It: Optimism creates resilience and persistence in students. Create a warm and inviting space in your classroom for students to post their goals, hopes and stories about things they have accomplished during the year.

Teaching Strength: Results Oriented

Definition: You’re focused on the end goal for each lesson, unit plan and school year.

Use It: Create charts and graphs that show and track the class’s as well as each student’s progress toward goals in reading and math. Even better, have your students track their own progress and results.

Teaching Strength: Discipline

Definition: You thrive on structure and routine and create enough organization in your classroom to manage a small country.

Use It: You know how you want everything done, but help students take over the running of your classroom with a binder of laminated “How To” instruction sheets with directions for everything from arrival to classroom jobs to rules for small group discussion.

Teaching Strength: Independence

Definition: You are not easily swayed by others and tend to prefer working on your own.

Use It: To strengthen students’ independence, create a chart with a continuum from “needed a lot of help” to “did it all by myself” that students can use to show how independent they were during a specific task. Have students track their independence during certain activities each day, for example, independent reading or math stations.

Teaching Strength: Collaboration

Definition: You work best as a member of a group.

Use It: Try collaboration stations. Just as you love collaboration best when the task isn’t easy, create projects that are genuinely challenging for your students to complete because this forces them to rely on each other.

Teaching Strength: Fairness

Definition: You put great importance on treating everyone the same.

Use It: Set up a mock trial using a text, such as the Parvana series by Deborah Ellis, or a current event, that teaches students to argue, defend and evaluate fairness in context.

Teaching Strength: Self-Control

Definition: You are able to manage and regulate what you feel and do.

Use It: It’s important for students to see self-control in action, so explain when you’re flexing your self-control muscle. Also, use your self-control to extend wait time for students during discussion, and step back from student-led discussions.

Teaching Strength: Humor

Definition: You love to laugh and make other people laugh.

Use It:Humor helps solidify student learning. Post a cartoon or joke as the morning “Do Now” assignment or “exit slip” to inject some levity into your lesson and increase the chance that students will retain it.

What are the strengths of a good teacher?

To be successful, a great teacher must have:

A great teacher is one a student remembers and cherishes forever. Teachers have long-lasting impacts on the lives of their students, and the greatest teachers inspire students toward greatness. To be successful, a great teacher must have:

An Engaging Personality and Teaching Style

A great teacher is very engaging and holds the attention of students in all discussions.

Clear Objectives for Lessons

A great teacher establishes clear objectives for each lesson and works to meet those specific objectives during each class.

Effective Discipline Skills

A great teacher has effective discipline skills and can promote positive behaviors and change in the classroom.

Good Classroom Management Skills

A great teacher has good classroom management skills and can ensure good student behavior, effective study and work habits, and an overall sense of respect in the classroom.

Good Communication with Parents

A great teacher maintains open communication with parents and keeps them informed of what is going on in the classroom as far as curriculum, discipline, and other issues. They make themselves available for phone calls, meetings, and email.

High Expectations

A great teacher has high expectations of their students and encourages everyone to always work at their best level.

Knowledge of Curriculum and Standards

A great teacher has thorough knowledge of the school's curriculum and other standards they must uphold in the classroom. They ensure their teaching meets those standards.

Knowledge of Subject Matter

This may seem obvious, but is sometimes overlooked. A great teacher has incredible knowledge of and enthusiasm for the subject matter they are teaching. They are prepared to answer questions and keep the material interesting for the students.

Passion for Children and Teaching

A great teacher is passionate about teaching and working with children. They are excited about influencing students' lives and understand the impact they have.

Strong Rapport with Students

A great teacher develops a strong rapport with students and establishes trusting relationships.

What are the skills needed to be a teacher?

They also need superior interpersonal skills, such as patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations. Collaborative skills enable them to work productively with their colleagues. Creativity and presentation skills are important when planning lessons to motivate students and hold their interest.

What Skills Knowledge & Experiences Are Needed to Become a Teacher?

Completion of a comprehensive teacher training program along with supervised student teaching builds skill and confidence.Instructing a classroom of energetic young people requires patience, dedication and and an engaging lesson plan to hold their attention. Teaching is an especially rewarding profession for those who want to help students reach their potential. Before you decide to embark on this career path, it's worthwhile to do a self assessment to determine whether you have the stamina and dedication to teach daily lessons and manage classroom discipline.

Strong Communication Skills

Teachers need a variety of skills, education and training to become proficient in their careers. They need excellent communication skills so they can explain the material in the curriculum in diverse ways to students who have different learning styles. They also need superior interpersonal skills, such as patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations. Collaborative skills enable them to work productively with their colleagues. Creativity and presentation skills are important when planning lessons to motivate students and hold their interest. As schools become more technologically advanced, teachers also need basic technological skills for audio-visual presentations and for reporting and taking attendance electronically.

Knowledge of the Subject

It is essential for teachers to have a strong grasp of the material they are teaching. Elementary school teachers must have content mastery in basic math, literacy, social studies and science. High school teachers, who usually specialize in only one or two subject areas, must have a thorough knowledge and understanding of their area of specialty. Teachers also need to know how children learn. They need to know the expectations in development for children of different ages. Skills of a teacher also include proficiency in teaching strategies and disciplinary techniques.

Personal Experiences

Most teachers are initially drawn to the profession due to positive learning experiences they had early in their lives. There might be a favorite teacher who was instrumental in helping them fulfill their full potential or any opportunity they had to teach something to someone, such as a younger sibling learning to ride a bicycle or a friend needing help with homework. Such experiences help aspiring teachers understand the dynamics of transmitting information from teacher to learner. Other experiences, such as being a camp counselor, scout leader or sports coach also contribute to increased awareness of how to interact with youngsters and how to motivate and inspire them.

Professional Experiences

An essential component of teachers' college programs is practice teaching. These practicum placements should occur early in the teacher preparation program. It is only by preparing lessons and delivering them that teachers can determine which methods they are most comfortable with and which ones are more likely to ensure student success. Teachers need to be lifelong learners and take advantage of the many professional development opportunities that are available for them to expand their repertoire of teaching strategies. Throughout their careers, excellent teachers constantly adjust and adapt their approach as they reflect on their past experiences and improve upon them.

What Are Some of the Personal Skills of a Teacher?

Teachers are charged with a variety of responsibilities, many of which change according to the dynamics of their classrooms. In addition to being able to lead a group, plan curriculum materials and be an effective educator, successful teachers need a variety of specialized personal skills to help them be effective in their jobs.

Patience

Whether teaching kindergartners or high school students, educators require patience and understanding in dealing with an often diverse group of students. Patience is a valuable skill to have when it comes to addressing different learning styles, levels of competency and individual ability. Patience is also valuable when it comes to handling administrative issues, preparing for standardized testing needs and working in coordination with parents.

Creativity

Successful teachers are creative in a variety of ways, often utilizing limited supplies and resources in an effective manner. Teachers also need the ability to take a creative approach to handling different learning needs in a classroom, often devising individualized study plans that best meet the needs of individual students.

Adaptability

Teachers get new students every year, and with different students come new challenges and opportunities. Teachers have to be flexible and adaptable in changing their teaching approach to the individual needs of their students, as well as the collective needs of student groups. In addition, teachers working under different administrators often are required to change their approach from year to year, sometimes incorporating new teaching methodologies.

Collaboration

Teachers often work in collaboration with other educators or utilize classroom aides or paraprofessionals. Interaction at this level requires solid verbal and interpersonal skills. Teachers with an ability to work in tandem with other educational professionals are better positioned to provide quality attention and instruction to their students.

Communication

Whether communicating with fellow educators, administrators, students or parents, teachers need exceptional communication skills. The ability to communicate effectively helps educators receive and relay valuable information, understand different perspectives and points of view and better explain the rationale for different teaching approaches.

Self-Awareness

To develop professionally and provide quality education, teachers need the skill of honest self-assessment. A good teacher continually asks herself if her instructional methods are sound, if students are receiving individual attention and instruction, and if teaching approaches are working as intended.

Why Is It Important for Teachers to Have Good Communication Skills?

Excellent teachers are highly skilled in written, verbal, organizational and interpersonal communication.

Teaching is all about communication - listening, speaking, reading, presenting and writing. Teachers who hone their communication skills are prepared to instruct, advise and mentor students entrusted in their care. Additionally, teachers must communicate well to effectively collaborate with colleagues and update administrators on student progress. Frequently, parents call, visit or email, so teachers must be adept at answering questions verbally and in writing.

Teaching Individuals and Groups

Communication is both receptive and expressive. Teachers must be skilled at listening to their students as well as explaining things clearly. Teachers need clarity of thought to present the material. They must be able to break down complex ideas into simpler parts and smaller steps to transmit to their students. They must be able to adapt their methods of communication to all students regardless of ability or learning style. They are able to "read" their students and adapt to the needs of the individual. Effective communication includes transforming the boring into the interesting and having good presentation skills.

Communicating Caring

In addition, good teachers communicate concern and caring by their tone of voice and use of body language. They transmit genuine commitment and affection for their students. Good teachers care about their students' progress and let their students know it at all times. They learn their students' names early in the school year and use their names when addressing them. They get to know their students' hopes, fears and preferences and communicate this knowledge to their students. They communicate their appreciation for what their students do by celebrating their successes and constantly encouraging them. This helps students feel recognized and validated.

Communicating to Parents

Teachers must be able to express themselves both verbally and in writing in order to report student progress to parents. They need to explain the strengths and weaknesses of their students so that parents will understand the message and be receptive rather than defensive. This is especially important when the teacher conveys a difficult message about the student's misbehavior or learning problems. The message must be delivered clearly and with tact. Teachers should be comfortable communicating with parents regularly, with phone calls and informal notes in addition to formal report cards.

Interacting with Colleagues and Supervisors

Although teaching is often done in the isolation of a classroom without the presence of other adults, good teaching involves consultation with colleagues. Schools that see themselves as professional learning communities encourage teachers to plan lessons together and learn from one another. They take a team approach when problem-solving, especially for difficult students. This all requires excellent communication. Teachers stay abreast of new developments in education by reading journals, listening to new ideas from their administrators and school board consultants, and sharing and discussing these ideas with colleagues.

What kind of skills do you need to be a teacher? Useful Skills for Teachers

While teaching can certainly be a challenge, it is also one of the most rewarding careers out there. Check out some of the useful skills for teachers to see if there are any areas you need to work on before you become one:

Patience

This is likely the single most important skill. Kids these days are stubborn, and many lack the inherent respect for authority that we were taught at a young age. Spending a single day in a room full of raucous teenagers is enough to send any human being to the looney bin, which is why every good teacher needs patience in order to find a way to work with his students and earn their respect.

Adaptability

Different kids learn in different ways, and some lessons need unique teaching tools. Good teachers know how to adapt their lesson plan to their students, so that all the kids learn optimally. This trait can take some experience and practice in a classroom setting, so give it time.

Imagination

Whether you teach high school chemistry or kindergarten, nothing is a more effective tool than using your imagination to create new and interesting ways for your students to learn. You may be inspired by the work of another teacher, mentor or a TV commercial - it doesn't matter. All that matters is that you take the initiative to find new ways for your kids to learn the material.

Teamwork

Teachers could have a hard time without a wide variety of support staff around them. If you feel alone, your school principal, administrative staff, parent-teacher committee, and more are often available to provide you help. By working as a team, you may have an easier time increasing your students' ability to learn and have fun.

Risk Taking

Sometimes to get the big reward, you may need to take a risk. Being a teacher is about finding a way to get kids to learn, and sometimes these new learning methods can be risky. Stick to it and you'll soon find that others are following your teaching example.

Constant Learning

You can never know too much when you are a teacher, especially when it comes to the best way to teach your students. Great teachers are constantly looking for ways to expand their horizons with courses, workshops, and seminars. Make sure you don't become stagnant by taking courses to keep the content fresh in your mind.

Communication

No teacher will succeed if they don't have good communication skills. Clear, concise, and to the point - the better your communication skills are, the easier your lessons will be. There are many different types of classes available to help some teachers who may need help improving their skills.

Mentoring

Teachers need to always remember that, aside from parents, they are one of the most consistent mentors in a child's life. That means setting a good example, at all times. Teachers may also have students that they spend extra time with being a mentor, which means that being a good role model is even more important.

Leadership

One of the other most important skills each teacher must have (besides patience) is leadership. Your students need someone to guide them, to be in charge, and set the tone of the class. Leadership is a difficult skill, meaning you may want to get outside help if you feel that you could use more work on this particular skill, or any other for that matter.

Understanding Our Strengths and Weaknesses as Teachers

Every teacher has strengths and weaknesses. Have you ever tried to list yours? Doing so is a worthwhile activity. I’d recommend doing it in private with a favorite libation—only one, because there is a need to be thoughtful and honest.

I’m still thinking about mid-career issues, and I’m wondering whether by the time we reach the middle of our careers, we can’t confront our weaknesses with a bit more maturity.

I’ve come to believe that some weaknesses simply must be accepted. That doesn’t mean we no longer care about them. It doesn’t mean we stop trying to improve them, but it does mean they’re never going to be our strengths. That’s where I am in thinking about my organizational skills. I do fine on paper. I can outline. I understand hierarchy, flow, and the need for transitions, but when I present, it’s not always well organized. I get going, and one thing leads to the next: a new idea pops up in my mind, somebody asks a good question that pushes me in an interesting but different direction, and soon I have no idea what I’m supposed to be talking about. It’s the kind of free-flowing style that drives linear, systematic thinkers nuts. I know that, and I try to use strategies that create some order out of the chaos, but presentational organization will never be a teaching strength for me, and that’s OK. Teachers need to accept what they can and can’t do well.

For most weaknesses, it’s usually better to accept your limitations and find a work-around rather than try to fight it. You’ve faced the problem, now you can live with it. So if you tend to get sidetracked when presenting, you can hand out an outline announcing that if you start talking about something that isn’t on the outline, everyone should feel free to point that out, and together, you’ll either adjust the outline or list that new item on the back as an interesting new idea to return to later.

It’s worth remembering that our strengths can help compensate for our weaknesses. That doesn’t mean the weaknesses disappear, but the strengths cover for them. As far as students and learning go, the strengths are more meaningful than the weaknesses. And we know what some of these fundamental strengths are: genuine concern for students, enthusiasm about the content, zest for teaching, love of learning. Those are aspects of teaching that can cover for traits like being absentminded, somewhat disorganized, not very good at asking questions, or not always prompt with feedback.

As for strengths, there are many—exhaustive knowledge of the content, ability to explain complicated concepts clearly, humor that makes the learning climate comfortable, and the ability to deliver feedback constructively. The question we don’t often ask is whether we can make more of the strengths, as in make them even stronger or diffuse them more broadly across our courses. Most of us know our strengths (some of us list them comfortably, some of us wear them quietly), but I don’t think most of us consider how we can build on them. I keep pointing out that you can improve your teaching in two ways: you can stop doing what doesn’t work, and you can do more of what does. Doing more of what works means there’s less time for what doesn’t, and building on strengths is way more uplifting than fixing problems.

The relationship between strengths and weaknesses is intriguingly complex. You can turn a strength into a weakness. I have a penchant for telling stories. I have been known to tell too many and to recount them too dramatically. They’re part of what sidetracks my organization, and often people remember the story but not the point. It’s possible to abuse many of our teaching strengths. We can use too much humor or too many active learning activities, lecture too much, and give too much feedback.

This post is giving the impression that a teacher’s strengths and weaknesses exist in definitive amounts, and that’s not right. Some days the strengths don’t show; other days they shine. Ditto for the weaknesses. And then there are those parts of teaching that regularly fall between strengths and weaknesses. Nonetheless, reflecting on your teaching as a whole will reveal some consistently strong parts and some parts that are less so.

The advice here? Make a list and use it to confront what makes you a good teacher and what could make you an even better one.