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For five years, I have worked as an Assistant Language Teacher in Japan with a variety of English teachers. Personalities and teaching styles are unique to each of them, and this influences the students' learning capabilities toward English. From my observations of teaching alongside these teachers, these are the personal qualities I have found to be most positively received by the students. Firstly, an English teacher should be confident. A teacher who is unsure or hesitant in their English ability will cause the students to lose confidence and motivation to learn. In many countries, English is a mandatory requirement. Therefore, as teachers, we should not further demotivate the class in their English learning. With a confident teacher, even if mistakes are made, students can feel comfortable knowing that mistakes are simply part of the learning process. Alongside with confidence, teachers should be reliable and trusting. In the case a student is unsure or makes an error, they should be able to depend on their teacher for guidance and correction. An approachable teacher can give assurance to the students that the lesson is not intimidating and provide a positive learning environment. Order is dire in the classroom, which makes discipline another quality that is important for English teachers. There is most definitely no issue with students enjoying class, especially because it can improve learning motivation. However, students will not focus in class if they are not reprimanded for misbehavior or not completing assignments. In my experience, I have witnessed some students in class proceed to do other assignments during English class due to the teacher not showing any incentive to warn them to pay attention. In addition, the students struggled to complete the worksheets given to them, as well as having lower test scores compared to the other classes of the same grade level with a different instructor. A teacher can establish a close bond with their students, but they should also be firm with them when it is necessary for their education. Assessing the class and adapting to their learning speed is important, thus making flexibility another key quality for teachers. While a thought-out lesson plan is practical, not everything in the class can be foreseen. For example, students may not comprehend the grammar at the speed you anticipated or need more time to practice during the study phase. There are also situations where a teacher may have to cut or adjust the time for the next activity. Some students may be able to follow a fast pace, but a teacher’s focus is not the accelerated students; it should be all of the students as a whole class. Many times, I have had to make changes to my lessons. For example, if the primary focus of the lesson was speaking, I would cut some of the questions or time that was dedicated to writing. If the schedule permitted, another option was to continue the lesson in the following class. The goal of the lesson is to not complete the lesson but to assure the students have an understanding of the targeted practice. Confidence, order, and flexibility are key personality traits in an English teacher. While having every student pass class with perfect scores would be ideal, the instructor should put focus on helping the students find their motivation to learn the language and then assist them in moving forward in their studies. Teachers are not dictators; they should not be simply ordering students. They are guides to help students’ growth in international relations.
