The five virtues of teaching I have chosen to focus upon are;

• Moral courage
• Patience
• Empathy
• Self-control
• Fairness

As a teacher you need to have the strength to stand up for what you believe is right. To have Moral Courage is important for a teacher; it is the ability to think and reflect upon your own moral stance as well, as the code of conduct in place, before making a decision. When a problem arises within your classroom it is up to you to respond in the way you feel is appropriate, perhaps you might have a different approach from your colleagues, as long as you are basing your decisions on the guidance set out by the GTCS you can’t go wrong.

To be patient as a teacher is vital. You must be able to adapt and try new approaches with your lessons when the children aren’t responding. You need to stay positive and calm and look for a new avenue. There is no place for a teacher who loses their patience with a child rather than trying to teach them in a new way. Even in terms of a child’s behaviour; in my opinion all behaviour serves a purpose and there is no such thing as a ‘trouble maker’ or a ‘naughty child’. As a teacher you must be patient and try your hardest to acknowledge the route of the behaviour and look for a solution.

An empathetic teacher tries to relate to the children in their class. They work hard to understand the needs of each child as an individual and try to accommodate them. To be empathetic is to realise that each child has a home life and each one is different, some good some bad. The key is to be aware and responsive.

To possess self-control is incredibly important for a teacher. You must be able to stay calm under pressure, be resilient and flexible. If something isn’t going to plan, change the plan. If you disagree with someone else’s approach either raise it with them in a professional way or accept it, move on and know that it is their way but not yours- not everyone is the same. Self-control is about discipline and this extends to motivation and work ethic. A teacher should be hard working and willing to go that extra mile for their pupils.

To be a fair teacher is to put aside your preconceptions and expectations. It is to take each child as an individual with individual qualities, abilities, strengths and weaknesses. Teachers should look beyond class, gender, race, etc. and see the little personality inside. They should not have favourites or show favouritism to any of their pupils. They should encourage all pupils to do their best and push them all to achieve great things. If a teacher projects their own preconceived expectations onto a pupil it will have an impact on the pupil’s success. It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy; so the only expectations you should have are for every child in your class to succeed.