The characteristics that great teachers share

For this column and the next, I will continue to present the results of my survey on what makes a great teacher. I asked my Hofstra students to think back to their elementary, middle and high school days. Last week I shared their responses to the first question: "Who was your favorite teacher? What made him or her so special?"

This week, I want to present their answers to the second question: "What are the characteristics of an outstanding teacher?"

Again this is not a scientific study, but the responses are revealing.

And the survey says about great teachers...

1. Smart; mastery of subject matter; makes learning interesting. Simply put, students want their teachers to know their stuff. The passion for the subject matter and the desire to pass it along ranks number one.

2. Nice, personable, friendly, respectful, patient, relaxed, a good listener. Close behind subject mastery, students consider personal traits to be important. I want to underscore "respectful." Students are perceptive whether a teacher truly cares about them. Also, teachers have to learn to walk a tight rope between being "friends with" and "friendly" with their students. A subtle- but very significant difference. Failure to recognize this difference can sandbag an otherwise outstanding educator.

3. Focused, encouraging, motivating, pushing to succeed and maximize one's potential. One of my colleagues once said half-joking after a disappointing day with his ninth-graders: "We have the nerve to try to compete with their social lives and try to teach them something." For the lay people, let me say that motivation with so many competing distractions these days is one of a teacher's greatest challenges.

4. Funny, always smiling, has a sense of humor, makes learning interesting. Students of all ages like it when their teachers let their hair down. Of course, the master teacher knows when it's time to get serious-and, obviously, that has to be most of the time.

5. Approachable, provides extra help, both academic and personal. Students want to know that their teachers are there for them, both inside and outside the classroom.

6. Passionate, dedicated. Students have a sixth sense; they know when a teacher really loves teaching -- the subject matter, communicating it to the students and the students themselves.

7. Down to earth, interacts well, relates to kids on their level. I recall a series of demonstration lessons after a round of final interviews that had yielded five candidates we wanted to observe in front of students. I distinctly remember how the frontrunner prior to the demo lessons simply fell apart when put in front of a class. As one colleague put it, "It's as though there were a glass wall between her and the students." She just did not connect or relate to them. An interview, then, is not enough. (Conversely, I have seen candidates whose interviews were fair simply blow our minds when put in front of a classroom.)

Dr. Steven Kussin, a high school principal for 21 years, is an adjunct professor at Hofstra University and an educational consultant for school districts around the country. His guidebook for administrators was published by Corwin Press. Contact him at stevekussin@aol.com.

(c) Dr. Steven S. Kussin, 2010