Baking is an art but teaching it requires a lot of patience and positivity. You might be a skilled baker but that doesn’t mean that you can be a great teacher as well. This is why it is important that you choose a good mentor for yourself when you are learning how to bake else you would end up bad baking results.

How do you select the right teacher for yourself? What characteristics or qualifications should you look out for?

Don’t worry, we have listed down a few characteristics that you should look out for when choosing the perfect teacher for yourself.

1. Great organizational skills

One of the most important qualities of a good baking teacher is how to lead the students and carry out their baking class. A good teacher will have the whole baking class outlined which will include specific timing for theory and hands-on session to train the students properly. They would also account any issues that might arise during the class and how to deal with them efficiently.

2. Patient and motivating

New bakers in training often make mistakes or are to slow to understand the instruction which is why a good teacher will need to be patient with them. If you choose a highly-qualified teacher who is impatient and always criticising then you are likely to give up the baking class and maybe never get back into it as a career too. This is why it is extremely important that you find a teacher who will be patient and motivating and will explain to you things gently without getting frustrated easily.

3. Highly-trained and qualified

Of course, a teacher needs to be properly qualified in order to teach you the subject so make sure that you choose a teacher who has the necessary baking qualifications and certifications. While you can choose a teacher without the diploma or certifications in baking and cake decoration courses, it is likely that you would get a more thorough training if you do. So, check out their educational background before you start taking classes with them.

4. Good communicator

Another important quality of a good teacher is to be able to communicate their thoughts clearly to the students, so that it's easy for them to understand. If a teacher is not able to communicate the recipe properly or isn’t able to share the baking tips with you then the complete class would turn out to be an utter waste of your time. So, make sure that you choose a teacher who has good speaking skills and is able to efficiently get their point across to the students.

5. Creative and inspiring

No one feels inspired by a boring, monotonous class with the teacher droning on or following the same class schedule every day. This holds particularly true for bakers as they need some inspiration to bake new and innovative things. If your teacher lacks the creativity and always follows the course rules then you are less likely to enjoy their class. On the other hand, if your teacher is always bringing something new to the table and motivates the students to use their own imagination then you are more likely to feel inspired to bake.

6. Ready to listen

Finally, make sure that your teacher is an open-minded person who is ready to listen to your grievances and queries. You don’t want to learn from a teacher who won’t listen to your ideas or answer your queries as this will be counter-productive to your learning. Make sure you choose a teacher who will be supportive and helpful and will always clear your doubts so that you can be properly trained.