The 4 Properties of Powerful Teachers

 This is a great article published in The Chronicle of Higher Education on April 3, 2015, Volume LSI, Number 29, page A31, by: Rob Jenkins.

According to Jenkins, four qualities that all Powerful Teachers possess are:

 Personality

Great teachers tend to be good-natured and approachable; professional without being aloof; demanding without being unkind; natural; and tremendously creative.

 Presence

The unmistakable capacity some people have to “own any room”. We might call it charisma, but it’s more than that.  Yet the best teachers, as Lang concluded, are always “present” connecting with both their subject matter and their students.

 Preparation

Preparation occurs on three levels: long-term, medium-term and short-term. Most faculty members have already accomplished the long-term preparation by virtue of holding advanced degrees. That preparation will serve you well and be your primary source of authority from your first day in the classroom until your last. But, in between, you must continue your education on a regular basis.

 Passion

Passion, or love, manifests itself in the classroom in two ways: love for your students and love for your subject matter.

Maybe we can’t all be that kind of teacher, but we at least should aspire to be. Besides even if we weren’t born with some of these qualities, we can develop them.

 Where do you think you are in these 4 Ps?