The three qualities of a good teacher.

I recently completed my university degree, marking 16 years of education. Staring at my testamur, I realised that this piece of paper represented so much more. My certificate recognised the hard work and support of countless lecturers, tutors, teachers, peers, colleagues, friends and family.

Reflecting on these experiences, these were the three qualities (but not limited to) that every good teacher figure held in my learning journey.

1. Listen to the needs of each student.

I struggled to speak until I was six years old. Mumbling words, imitating sounds and conversation with indistinguishable gibberish was my communication state at an early age.

Primary school was a challenging environment. I struggled to socialise with my peers and engage in discussion, let alone teaching. In this period, my three teachers went above and beyond to meet these complex needs.

From flashcards to picture books to diagrams and spending extra time with me, they honestly tried to work with my needs in my non-verbal state. It took a year to elicit a response from me, but they listened to my needs when I began to make unintelligible outbursts when I didn't understand things. Listening to the student's needs, including non-verbal cues, is vital in creating a conducive learning environment.

2. They are compassionate in their teaching.

My most vivid memories in high school was the time spent in the drama studio. My teacher was eccentric, funny and often short-tempered when it came to mischievous shenanigans. However, he cared so much for the subject, and this passion ignited the students' drive.

The confidence in the way he delivered lessons, the way he engaged every student, was electrifying. As a timid thirteen-year-old, I had entered his classroom to take an easy period for the day. Fast forward five years later, he had inspired me to perform on stage in musicals, plays and even take the subject for the Higher School Certificate (the Australian version of the SATs).

Reflecting upon those moments, I realise that this teacher shaped the person I have become through the compassion in his teaching. He demonstrated a flair for the craft and thoroughly believed that each student was capable of succeeding.

3. Realise that life lives beyond the classroom.

In university, the environment is entirely different naturally – students are adults, and no parent or authority figure is obliged to keep you accountable except yourself. In particular, no person made this more apparent than my second year advertising tutor.

He advised that it is up to us as students to decide what we apply from our studies and that everything we learn may not always have relevance to the real world. It was a shock – I was under the impression everything, especially at the tertiary level of education, would lead to something. This view may have been naive, but given the level of university debt I would go in for these classes, the tutor's declaration was harrowing.

Despite this warning, his classes were excellent, engaging discussions on deriving creativity from insight and data, a topic some may regard with boredom. The key to unlocking our attention was linking the case to what we already knew, to tangible, real-life implications. While it may not always be applicable for every subject matter for a teacher, he could shift my perspective.

Importantly, perspective creates a better understanding of what you are learning relative to what it contributes to your education.

Good teachers have so many excellent characteristics, and these three qualities are some of the most powerful I have identified in my learning journey. Listening, compassion and perspective played a significant role in my education, and I hope with these in mind you can appreciate your good teachers for the hard work and support they put in for you.