Teachers need to have the ability to display a variety of different virtues and ethics all the time within their professional career.

I have chosen to focus on five main traits, which I have went into more detail about below. However, I am not saying that these are any more important than other traits. It all primarily depends on the individual circumstances at the time and how you as a teacher feel would be the best way to handle that situation.

Patience;

Patience, I feel is one of the most desirable traits for any individual however, for teachers I feel it is essential. This trait is most definitely vital while working in a classroom setting. As a patient teacher, I feel you should have the ability to adapt and try new learning styles and approaches when children aren’t responding or grasping certain things you are teaching. Not every child will be able to understand and learn the same way which then results in you as a teacher being able to remain patient and calm whilst finding another method that the child or children can understand.

Patience is also very important when it comes to a child’s behaviour. I feel as soon as you lose your patience with a child due to their behaviour then you have lost control of the classroom and everything you have learnt in how to teach. I fully believe that every type of behaviour displayed by every child can be chipped away down to the root cause of why this child is behaving in the way. However, to find the root cause requires patience on the teacher’s behalf. Without patience, you may find that you just write the particular child off as a ‘trouble maker’ when in reality there is a deeper cause and meaning for the behaviour being displayed.

Respect;

I feel that, respect is one the most important traits for a teacher to possess. Without respect present within the classroom both towards the teacher and the children then it is not an environment in which anyone is going to benefit from learning. If a teacher is respected by his or her class, it will create a learning environment where everyone feels comfortable to be and to learn in.

To gain respect, one must show respect; I feel that this is very important within the classroom and that some teachers need to realise that children should not just respect you because you are the teacher, the children should respect you because you respect them. Respect is a two way relationship and I feel that if it is met by both parties then everyone will benefit.

Empathy;

In order to be the best teacher you can, you have to have the ability to display empathy towards your students when necessary. By being able to do this, you will be able to make an almighty difference in the learning of the pupils’. By being able to bring yourself down to a child’s level and fully show that you understand and empathise with what the child is going through, that child can then see that you are a trustworthy and important character in their life, that they will feel comfortable to approach. Without empathy within the classroom, pupils may not feel safe or happy. There may be a lack of confidence in the teacher from the children and they also may feel that they cannot trust them.

The key to being empathetic is to be realistic and realise that every individual is different, with completely different circumstances both within school and outside. To be able to empathise with the different circumstances that you may be approached with you have to be able to be aware of what is going on around you and also to be an approachable figure to every one of your pupils’.

Fairness;

Preconceptions and expectations should be left at the door when you as a teacher enter your classroom. Fairness within the classroom is essential for every child to be able to learn within the classroom at the best of their abilities. Without fairness, teachers may dwell on matters such as: class, gender, race, family etc. which could result in you as a teacher not being able to look at that pupil and see their actual qualities, abilities and potential.

Teachers should also not show or have any favouritism towards pupils within their classroom. Every child should be encouraged and taught to the best of their abilities to achieve their potentials.

It should only be fair that within a classroom, the teacher should make sure that every child has the same opportunities to progress and blossom throughout their education to then reach the best of their abilities later on in the future.

Compassion;

As a teacher, you have to have the ability to be compassionate. The reasoning for this is due to the vast variety of different children from different backgrounds that you will be working with. I believe that due to this, compassion is very appropriate to show the pupils that not only are you human but that you are a means of support and an approachable individual in that child’s life for when they may need it.