Personality Traits of an Elementary School Teacher

Parents should be the strongest and most positive influence in a child's life. After that, elementary school teachers carry a lot of influence. Good or bad, teachers can strongly affect a child and the direction they choose in life and how they will function within society.

With that, those who choose the role of teacher have an incredibly big responsibility. It is the responsibility of helping to shape a child's life. The elementary teacher role is an incredibly difficult one, but not impossible to achieve success. It simple requires a personality and character beyond the ordinary.

More than just personality
Let it be known that being a good elementary school teacher isn't just about personality. The elementary school teacher must have the right training—an elementary education bachelor degree. Studying in an elementary education program is part of obtaining certification and having the right knowledge for being an elementary school teacher. Beyond that, there are certain qualities that must be true of the elementary school teacher as a person.

Patience
Those who have a lot of patience are hard to come by. Having patience with small ones really begins when adults realize the child is developing, learning, and growing every minute of the day. The path taken to maturity is full of twists, turns, growing, and learning. Being patient with kids is part of helping them grow and learn.

Cheerfulness
Stoic patience isn't enough, important though it may be. Vibrant cheerfulness is another key quality. Cheerfulness is the ability to keep a smile on your face even when a student is sticking out his tongue at you, wrinkling up a math book, or getting sick at lunchtime. Cheerfulness is keeping your head up and spirits high, when everything around you says, "be angry, be frustrated, or be harsh." Cheerfulness says no. Instead, cheerfulness laughs and proceeds to smile at the challenges.

Optimism
After you work with kids for a while, optimism can tend to ebb low. Hours of teaching might cause you to think, "These kids will never learn!" An elementary school teacher needs to have an optimistic outlook that holds out hope for even the most challenged learner. Optimism is the difference between an elementary school teacher who quits and an elementary school teacher who sticks with it for the long haul. Optimism is infectious, too, meaning that your optimism as a teacher will inspire optimism and success in your students.

Determination
Patience will wane. Cheerfulness will be challenged. Optimism will hit low points. Determination will kick in when other resources start to run dry. While patience, cheerfulness, and optimism are rosy-colored attributes with flowery smells and harmonious sounds, "determination" has a steely edge to it. Determination is gritty, tough, rugged, and sometimes unpleasant, but it is necessary. Determination will get you through the low points and will allow patience, cheerfulness, and optimism, to flourish yet again.