Some Great Traits, However Outside the Top 10, 11-20

 “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” -Maya Angelou. 

Consistency is the key attribute to becoming memorable. Though this list does not fall in the top ten list of traits that make teachers memorable, they lie just outside and have regularly come up as traits students recall that make their teachers their favorites.

11. Inspiring

Definition: to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence: to produce or arouse (a feeling, thought, etc.): to fill or affect with a specified feeling, thought, etc.: to influence or impel

Key Thoughts for Application: Affect, animate, arouse, embolden, excite, galvanize, hearten, impress, motivate, provoke, spark, spur, trigger

Inspiration is what gives others the energy to tackle insurmountable tasks and accomplish great feats every day in our lives. There are many qualities that help drive us, and many will be reflected in our top ten list, but inspiration affects all of us as we prepare to do our work for ourselves and others. It is the quality of thinking and feeling that will drive the quantity of the efforts and results we all want. Having an inspiration also gives us the hope that we, too, can achieve and become as great as those who have inspired us. 

 12. Friendly

Definition: kind, helpful, favorably disposed, inclined to approve, support, amicable, easy to understand,

Key Thoughts for Application: affable, amiable, attentive, beneficial, cordial, familiar, favorable, loyal, neighborly, peaceful, receptive, sympathetic, welcoming,

Friendly and friend are two of the qualities of traits students remember. They are not the same and I will I will define Friend next. Friendly is the manner in which we treat others. It encompasses the actions we strive to perform as we develop relationships with others. Good or bad, happy or sad, up or down, half full versus half empty glass, like or dislike, and many others; all of the combinations of comparison words that exude “positive” are forms of the friendly mannerisms that others would like to see when interacting with their memorable teacher.     

13. Friend

Definition:  a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard, a person who gives assistance; patron; supporter: a person who is on good terms with another

Key Thoughts for Application: ally, acquaintance, associate, buddy, colleague, companion, partner, cohort, pal,

Friendly is the feeling we get from others. A friend is the person who transmits the feelings and interaction we can trust, depend upon, can count on, and will always be there through thick and thin. There is a proven track record of the actions that one does to another that develops a “friendship” when we make personal contact each day. Sometimes, being a friend is difficult, and can put a teacher in a conflicting mode when things become personal and should remain professional. It’s a fine line and I always try to be friendly as a teacher during the school years, and let it develop into friendship later.

14. Patient

Definition: quietly and steadily persevering or diligent, especially in detail or exactness:

Key Thoughts for Application: calm, forgiving, gentle, tolerant, understanding, imperturbable, persistent, serene,  

There are many styles of learning. We all know in education one size doesn’t fit all. Students come into the classroom feeling pressure to perform. They come in with a “failure set” because it is all new and they are lacking, but ready, to make the next item become part of their knowledge repertoire. Learning is hard! We don’t always get it the first time. “Try, try, again” is the famous quote that identifies the need for teachers to be patient, as well as lower the anxiety that may debilitate the learner’s efforts and mitigate their success.  

15. Humorous

Definition: characterized by humor; funny; comical: having or showing the faculty of humor; droll; facetious:

Key Thoughts for Application: amusing, comical, droll, entertaining, hilarious, playful, pleasant, whimsical, witty

Humor is a skill. It is not being funny, cracking jokes, using sarcasm to incur a laugh, not a comedy routine, nor entertainment. Humor well placed can lighten the load, release the pressure, cut the tension, relieve anxiety, and make the day enjoyable despite what is at stake in the learning accountability process. FUN! No one should ever feel the humor is pointed at them. It will immediately shut down communication and eliminate a risk-free environment. Observations can be used to point out irony, conflicts, and anything that is aggressive that can create the tension among learners. Teachers also can use self-deprecation, which allows you to bridge the gap between student and teacher to reduce the chasm that sometimes creeps into the classrooms. We are all learners, and memorable teachers never forget this.   

16. Comfortable

Definition: being in a state of physical or mental comfort; contented and undisturbed; at ease: more than adequate or sufficient:

Key Thoughts for Application: appropriate, complacent, convenient, cozy, easy, enjoyable, happy, healthy, pleasant, pleased, relaxed, satisfying, useful, warm

Students get up in the morning, are rushed to get dressed, hurry to eat some breakfast (maybe), need to be at school before the bell, and have all of the assignments and tools present for the day as directed by the teacher. Conversely, teachers need to plan for the day. They must consider what they can do to make sure that the activities take into account everything needed for students to be productive and successful for the day. If students walk in on the clock or late, they feel they can never catch up. Plan to take the “rat race” out of their life. Make students feel comfortable and informed of the plans, schedule, expectations, and performances required for the day, with a review of the achievements that were successfully experienced. 

17. Respect

Definition: to hold in esteem or honor for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability: deference to a right, privilege, privileged position, or someone or something considered to have certain rights or privileges; proper acceptance or courtesy; acknowledgment

Key Thoughts for Application: appreciation, awe, consideration, deference, dignity, recognition, regard, reverence, tribute, adoration, homage, repute

Respect is what you give as well as whet you get (not take). Actions speak louder than words. Respect from students is a result of how they feel about you and the day you have planned, as well as how it was executed for them during the course of the day. Respect today is not given from fear and command. It is rewarded to the teacher who values the student and recognizes the impact of their deeds and accomplishments made on everyone’s behalf. Build their self-respect and there will be ample respect given to you/all.  

18. Knowledgeable

Definition: possessing or exhibiting knowledge, insight, or understanding; intelligent; well-informed; discerning; perceptive.

Key Thoughts for Application: appreciative, brilliant, conscious, informed, insightful, learned, smart, wise

This is an understatement. We are in school, right? The institution of learning thrives on the knowledge one can gain from a full day’s work at school. Every minute counts, so be ready and knowledgeable of the content, the feelings, and provide supports for each child in you care. School smarts and street smarts are demonstrated in the knowledge that each professional uses when they come in contact with the student. Be the most well-informed individual you can be. Then you will become the most memorable teacher that they ever had while attending your school.

19. Happy

Definition: delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing, characterized by or indicative of pleasure, contentment, or joy

Key Thoughts for Application: cheerful, ecstatic, elated, joyful, jubilant, lively, merry, overjoyed, pleasant, thrilled, upbeat, chipper, sparkling  

Happy falls into the qualitative aspect (not quantitative) of school. Being happy isn’t something that you can weigh. It’s not something that can be assessed. There is no formula that can be followed to assure happy is happening. Happy is a feeling that permeates an individual. It’s the continuous smile, an attitude of pleasance, it’s a positive demeanor toward incidents, and it’s the outlook you have for life. Happy can’t be taught. I look for happy people to be teachers. But it can be developed by focusing on good, and finding your affirmation for being a teacher. I had a typical response to adults when asked” how is it going?” I retorted “Great! If it was any better it would be illegal!” To kids I would say “this has been the best day of my life” with feeling that it assuredly had been.

  

20. Passionate

Definition: having, compelled by, or ruled by intense emotion or strong feeling; fervid: expressing, showing, or marked by intense or strong feeling; emotional

Key Thoughts for Application: ardent, aroused for information, stimulated, excited, enthusiastic, caring, afire, fervent, vehement, intense, raging, animated, dynamic, energetic,    

The passionate memorable teachers is one that exudes an aura that everything is the best it could be and there would be no better place to be than at school. That energy, and an intense work ethic and attitude, creates a feeling of love for the job. Teaching is not just a job, but a career marked with opportunities to make a difference for all at every turn and with every challenge. It’s loving what you do, and doing what you love. It permeates and oozes out of every action you take and reaction you make. I am an educator, not just a teacher. I try to make sure that everyone I have come into contact with remembers that. Make it a living and breathing commitment that all will walk away feeling.

Stephen Ahle Principal
Educator
2006 National Distinguished Principal
National Association of Elementary School Principals