How to be a highly successful teacher

Whether you’re a recent graduate or an experienced teacher, remembering and practising these four things will help you become the best educator you can be.

It’s easy, and often a lot of fun, to focus on the ‘wow’ factor of teaching and how to stand out as you give your lessons. However, your general skills and approach in the classroom are fundamental to your success as a teacher, so it’s often worth checking in with yourself and remembering the basics. 

Succeeding as a teacher at a glance

There is no sure-fire way to define what makes a successful teacher, but being open to continuously developing and building on your existing skills is key to becoming your best professional self.

In order for you to be a world-class educator, it’s important to be aware of your students’ varying needs and learn to adapt your lesson plan on the go if necessary. Beyond the actual teaching skills, the most successful teachers have also mastered the art of patience and presenting a positive outlook.

Take a look at the full list below to find out the most important ‘habits’ you should build into your classroom.

If you would like to discuss your employment needs with an expert in the education field, please contact your local consultant.

1. A cool head inspires respect

Working with children of any age can be frustrating at times, whether it’s general disruptiveness or just a lack of engagement with the lesson. Either way – what you’re dealing with is a lack of respect for your authority, and this is something you will only exacerbate by getting angry. Patience is one of the most important skills to have in a classroom situation and every good teacher understands they need to have perseverance with the students in their class.

2. There is no ‘one size fits all’ in teaching

Experienced teachers rely on a combination of different styles to meet their students’ needs. You need to be flexible when bringing lessons to the class – often adapting what may work for some classrooms to something very different. This habit comes in many forms but often includes:

• Preparing unique teaching tools
• Gearing your lessons differently for some students
• Acknowledging the effectiveness of ‘visual’ vs. ‘verbal’ as a learning style.

By doing this, you can be confident that you’ve provided different options for your class. It may seem a risky manoeuvre, especially if you feel more comfortable with a specific teaching style, but with experience and practice, you’ll find it becomes easy to adapt yourself and develop this skill.

3. Positivity as you communicate

Sometimes when you have lessons to plan, marking to do and exams looming in your mind, it can be hard to hold onto your positivity. It’s important to do so though, as a positive outlook is infectious and your students really pick up on these signals, which contributes to the whole dynamic of the room.

Infusing your lesson presentation with positivity is at the heart of the learning experience; if you can’t communicate the objective of your lessons effectively then this will ultimately be detrimental to your students. So, by honing your communication skills to include that infectious outlook, you will be better at presenting lessons and you’ll improve overall as a teacher.

4. Imagination becomes inspiration

Regardless of whether you’re teaching reception children or students in KS4/5 coming to the end of their education in school, imagination is always an important tool to utilise in your classroom. It’s important to engage your creativity and imagination to design new teaching resources and lesson plans, creating exciting ways for your students to learn.

If you find your ideas drying up, then ask around. You might take on board a suggestion by a colleague, or find inspiration from a TV programme or even social media if you try. Take the time to do this regularly and you’ll develop your own classroom abilities, as well as further engaging your students.

What you need to remember about being a successful teacher

By keeping these ideas in mind and regularly challenging yourself on the basics, you’ll always be contributing to your ability to develop as a teacher. By adding or improving these points as part of your classroom manner, you will soon see the results in both your students and your own happiness and productivity.

Browse our My Learning online portal to find specialist courses that will help you reach your next career goal as an educator.