Thank you to everyone who entered our giveaway!
We received a ton of great answers to the question "What are the most important qualities of an educator?"
Here are 10 of our favorite answers:
“An educator should be honest, trustworthy, and understanding. To be the best teacher you must understand the environmental factors students face outside of school to motivate them.”
“The qualities I find most important when it comes to teaching are patience, kindness, and dedication. Each morning I begin the day by saying "I am patient. I am loving. I am kind." I want to be in the correct mindset so I can be a better role model for my students.”
“Being a respectful role-model for students. This means connecting with them, highlighting the right choices in difficult situations, and guiding them through their learning process to become successful people.”
“To be able to make all children know they have the rights to an education and that they (students) are the ones who can excel or fail. To allow students to achieve, create, learn in their own time and their own style. Educators must have patience, respect, a sense of humor, the ability to roll with the punches and not take everything said personally. The most important quality is, a love for the job of making a difference in the life of a child!”
“Have passion for what you do. Coming to work and be prepared to understand the role of a school in a child's life. To have a work ethic and never quit. Understand that being a teacher can be a struggle but we can always find ways to improve. It’s the willingness to connect with students and make the best environment.”
“Patience and understanding, someone who is a good listener even when they have things to get done. That one person who looks into the eyes of a child and makes them feel as if they are the most special child in the world.”
“A heart full of love for children. A passion for students & their learning paths. Knowledge of how to relate to kids & make learning fun. Superior organization skills. A positive and motivating disposition. A personal lust for learning. The ability to think and plan at both on a micro and macro level, and assess data and its trends. The ability to wear many hats and be FLEXIBLE! The belief in the "not yet" position of learning... when kids say I can't do this - you say "You can't do this yet!" Positivity, positivity, positivity - especially in the face of diversity and negative nellies!”
“Obviously, knowledge of content is important, however, a successful educator must be consumed by a passion for children and learning. He/she must create an opportunity to build relationships with students and families, helping parents connect with education.”
“The most important qualities of an educator are patience, ability to lead and show authority without being tyrannical, eagerness to share knowledge / love for the vocation, willingness to be flexible and offer support to students.”
“Educators need to be passionate about student learning and content knowledge. Educators need to be organized, caring, flexible, confident, nurturing, learners, capable, fair, compassionate, energetic, adaptable, enthusiastic, and many more things all rolled into one....DYNAMIC!”
Congratulations to the winner - Beverly P, a teacher from California!