In a recent lecture, Derek Robertson asked us to reflect on what we thought five important virtues were for teaching and I believe that these five core values are necessary to be a successful educator.

Tolerance

For a teacher to have tolerance means that they are able to tolerate children from any background without having any pre-conceived notion of how well they may do. A teacher with tolerance should not judge a child based on race, gender or socio-economic class. They must be open minded to any culture and not impose their own views on the classroom or any students mind. A tolerant teacher would also set a good example for their students as it would teach them not to judge or bully anyone and treat everyone equally regardless of their culture. It is also very important for a primary educator to display tolerance as pupils are at a very susceptible age and could potentially copy some of the teacher’s behaviour.

Fairness

In order to set a good example for the pupils, a teacher must treat them all fairly. When I was in primary school, I noticed some of my teachers acted in a sexist way, which was possibly subconscious, because they would discipline the males in the class more than they would the girls. I feel that disciplinary measures should be applied based on circumstance and regardless of gender.

It is also good for primary students to learn fair etiquette early on in their life in the hope that this would carry on for their behaviour as adults. For example, teaching children to share when they are given something seems like it is very good practice.

Patience

A patient teacher to me means an understanding teacher who can adjust their teaching style to the different speeds at which their pupils work at. For example, a teacher with patience will not get annoyed by a pupil interrupting their lesson with questions or with a request to slow down and will be prepared to explain a concept as many times through as is required.

As a primary student, I felt too nervous to ask my Maths teacher a question or to slow down because the teacher had a reputation as being “strict” and I was too embarrassed that I would look stupid if I asked. If a teacher was able to give the impression that they were patient and happy to answer questions, the pupils may feel less afraid or ashamed.

Empathy

I believe that a teacher should be able to display empathy to their students in order to truly be an effective teacher and make a difference in a pupil’s learning. If a pupil feels like their teacher does not understand how they are feeling then they will never give full confidence or trust to the teacher which can be important for pupils to feel happy in the classroom.

Kindness

Kindness is also very important when dealing with primary students. Difficult students can seem to need more discipline when sometimes this is not the case. I know when I was in primary school, for my first two years, I caused trouble constantly and was punished for it constantly until I was placed in a kind teacher’s class where I learned to behave myself without the need for stringent punishment.

However, with this virtue there needs to be more of a balance as it is equally important for a teacher to be firm with discipline as the teacher could easily be taken advantage of as a lenient teacher.