Most Important Skills For A Teacher At Teach For America
Shaneli, a Recruitment Manager at Teach For America, highlights patience and problem-solving as crucial skills for educators, emphasizing the need to adapt teaching methods to individual student needs: "every single student is different," requiring "figuring out what methods work best" and a willingness to problem-solve "even after the school day."
Patience, Problem-Solving, Organization, Communication, Adaptability
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Shaneli Mirpuri
Recruitment Manager
Teach For America
UCLA 2020
Relay Graduate School of Education; Masters of Arts in Teaching
International Relations & Affairs
Education, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Human Resources (HR)
Video Highlights
1. Patience is crucial for addressing diverse student needs and finding effective teaching methods.
2. Strong organizational skills are essential for managing lesson plans, grading, and communication with families.
3. Problem-solving abilities are vital for adapting teaching techniques to suit individual students and overcoming educational challenges.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
Being a teacher definitely involves a lot of patience, organization, and problem-solving. Organization is really important to ensure you're staying on top of lesson plans, grading, and contacting families of students who may be struggling or having successes you want to celebrate.
In terms of problem-solving, it's crucial to realize every student is different. This includes understanding educational hurdles they face, figuring out why they got a problem wrong, or identifying barriers to their understanding.
As you become a teacher, you're trained to use various teaching techniques and curricula. However, your main techniques may not work for every child. Some students might need one-on-one attention, visual aids, or to hear information multiple times before it clicks.
Therefore, patience and a willingness to problem-solve on the spot, even after the school day, are really important.