Being a novice teacher is never an easy task. For the first time, you have a classroom all to yourself, you have to learn the curriculum, develop lesson plans, have some type of classroom management system, and at the same time go to graduate school. So what characteristics does a novice teacher need to overcome all of this?
I think that the ability to self-reflect is very important. Teaching, whether in your first year or twentieth year, is always a process. A process that can allow a teacher to become better and better everytime they go through it. The ability to sit down and think about what they are doing and how they are doing it is extremely important in developing as a teacher.
Another important characteristic is the ability to accept criticism. The first few years are tough, and if you can accept the criticism given to you from your peers or even students (many times they will give it without asking, thats how great they are), you can grow as a teacher as opposed to feeling defeated and demoralized.
Enthusiasm is probably one of the most important characteristics of a teacher. Many students, especially in high school, do not look forward to coming to school, particularly in the late winter months. Your enthusiasm will go a long way in building a relationship with the students. If your students see that you are interested in what you are teaching some of it will rub off on them.
There are other characteristics that are important, such as organization (which I still struggle with), patience, diligence, and confidence that can carry a teacher through those beginning years. And although this is about novice teachers, I have found that many of these characteristics are found in successful teachers that have been teaching for over 25 years.
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Being able to take criticism is very important. All teachers should be able to accept criticism but especially novice teachers. It will help them with their instruction, management, etc. To go one step further, novice teachers should be comfortable with asking for help from others, whether its another teacher, a supervisor, or the principal. They should not think that they are all alone to grapple with problems that they're encountering. This is where a mentor would fit in.
Excellent point. looking back on my first few years, if it wasn't for the veteran teachers, I would not have been able to get through the school year. from lesson plans to classroom discipline, they awere extremely helpful.
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