An ideal teacher is someone who is passionate about education and molding young minds for the betterment of society. In earlier years we did have many such teachers.
Unfortunately that is not the case now. For many teachers, teaching is only a profession that brings in bread and butter. Also, teaching is one of the lowest paid professions in India.
Because of this the best minds are not attracted to teaching. A good teacher needs patience first and foremost. Children are difficult to handle and their attention gets diverted often. So teachers must deal with them patiently. She should make her classes as interesting as possible instead of merely reciting dates and facts.
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An ideal teacher is one who understands that her responsibility does not end with teaching alone. She has to take on the role of a Counselor also sometimes. Children spend most of their time in school and therefore teachers are in a position to interact with them closely. Children having problems at home might want to share them with a friendly teacher.
When a bright child suddenly falls behind and becomes withdrawn or aggressive, it is a sure sign of trouble. In such cases the teacher could talk to the child and find out what the problem is. The teacher could mediate with the parents later to solve the problem. A good teacher should try to bring out the best in her students. Teachers should also be impartial. Even if they like certain children more they should not show it openly.
Most importantly, a good teacher should be able to win the trust and respect of her students. She should set a good example to her students by following certain principles and a code of conduct in life. Recently a teacher in Tamilnadu beat a UKG student and she died. Instead of admitting her mistake she tried to cover up her crime. This is the worst kind of teacher. A good teacher will not resort to such severe corporal punishment, whatever the provocation. Also, the teachers who left small children to burn to death in a village in Tamilnadu while they escaped to safety are contemptible.