This summer I have the amazing opportunity to work at a summer camp for kids. I have been working every day with the first through eighth-graders of this camp thus far this summer, and I have learned a few things about what it really takes to be a successful teacher. The following is my list of essential job requirements for teachers. You need...
1. Your own self confidence.
Students of all ages have no problem telling you the truth, even if that truth is not particularly nice. One of my students, who is going into fourth grade, could not understand why I would want to wear red lipstick. "What is that stuff on your lips?" She asked. I told her that it was lipstick, and she replied, "That's weird." Needless to say, it did not boost my self confidence in my lipstick choice that day.
2. Patience.
The students you teach, regardless of age, will inevitably do or say something that is annoying or vexing. The key is to remain calm, hold in all of the things you would like to say, and above everything else, do not throw any of your students out of the window.
3. The ability to fix random things.
4. The ability to raise your voice to insane levels.
I have also found that most teachers have spent time really perfecting their teacher voice. It generally involves opening your mouth as wide as it will go, bugging your eyes out of your head, and emitting a sound that will either deafen them or get them to obey.
5. Being a human lie detector.
Being a teacher also requires the ability to tell when someone is lying. At one point this week, I asked one of my students if he was throwing something after I had witnessed him throwing dirt. He smiled and said that he had merely been throwing air. Confronted with his lie, he finally 'fessed up, but I will never forget the audacity of his lie. As a teacher, you must often look between two children telling contradictory stories and decide which child sounds more believable. Now, some of this can be educated �guess work, but most of the time you need to be able to read minds.
6. Being very good at repeating yourself.
This qualification can be linked back to the previous qualification of having patience. If you do not enjoy repeating the same thing many times, teaching is not the career for you. You should be used to having people not listen to you, completely forget what you've said after you've said it, and having them pretend that you've never said anything at all.
7. Love for each one of your students.
In all seriousness, I love my job and the opportunity I have to spend time with each and every one of my students. The most important thing that teachers need in order to be successful is the care and compassion for students that they deserve. The students you teach may be loud, they may not listen the first time you say something, they may be brutally honest, they may break random things, and they may even lie to you, but you love them anyway and you continue to come to work every day to make a difference in their lives.
