Since moving to America, I have had chances to meet many wonderful teachers and experience different styles of teaching. Most of the teachers I have met in America are honorable because of their remarkable characters. In my experience, three important qualities are required for a teacher to be effective-- preparedness, patience, and passion. A teacher with these valuable qualities is able to impress his/her students in the class, guide students to learn effectively, and encourage students to think critically.

One important quality of an effective teacher is preparedness. For example, while I was taking an AMLA 68 writing class, Professor J. Leader always distributed clear instructions and prepared a variety of materials such as articles, videos, on-line learning, and games for classes. The class’s process was under her control and went smoothly. Usually after we read an article or watched a video, she asked questions and encouraged us to think deeply and logically. Through the discussion of the questions, she guided us to find out the key themes, which was very interesting to me because it inspired me to figure out the deeper meaning and form my own essays. An effective teacher knows what she is doing and designs lessons for students which are logical. 

Another important quality of an effective teacher is patience. While my son was taking science in eighth grade and struggling in his quizzes, his science teacher, Mr. Egigian, taught him patiently. He encouraged my son to learn from mistakes and gave him chances to rewrite the questions on the quizzes. Furthermore, he inspired my son’s interest in learning. In the class, he played interesting science videos for students and discussed the topic that they watched. Through the discussion and rewrite the questions in class, my son felt more confident in science field. In the end of that semester, he got an “A” in science and 100 percent on the California Standard Science Test. An awesome teacher knows how to inspire and motivate his/her students and achieve their goals.

Passion is a third important quality of an effective teacher. My friend Ms. Chen is teaching special need children in middle school, and she works passionately to build her students’ skills. Every time when her students have a little improvement, she rewards them with a positive response and urges them to try again. In addition, she contributes her time to form a supporting group for her students’ parents and gathers outside resources for them because she knows the struggling parents need support. Her understandings reduce the parents’ burden and give them energy to continue facing challenges. A passionate teacher knows who needs to be taught and who needs to be encouraged.