Inge Eidsvåg
And though this is a thing every teacher should be able to do, it’s not the only way to be a good teacher. But if this isn’t enough, then what is?
Inge came with 10 guidelines for a good teacher:
- Know well and love your subject
The pupil meets the subject through the teacher, what good comes from an uninterested teacher?
- Love your pupils
This is not something that’s written up somewhere, for love must never be measured.
When the teachers love their pupils, they see the pupils at their best, and the pupils feel loved.
- See each pupil and listen to him or her
When we came to the third point, Inge glowed and started telling of his first year as a 19 year old teacher for approximately 18 pupils in 1967-68. He was new at the job and most of the students were open, happy and present students who loved teaching new things. In the very back of the class though, was a little, pale and silent girl named Astrid, who Inge hardly ever noticed.
In winter the class had about butterflies, and Inge had bought six pictures of butterflies to show the class. He pointed at the first butterfly and asked if anyone knew its name. The class grew silent, but in the very back, a little hand stretched towards the ceiling. The entire class turned round in astonishment looking at Astrid who’d finally, after six months, raised her arm. She didn’t only know the name of one butterfly, but all six.
It turned out that her grandfather and she collected butterflies, and from that day on, Astrid was a much more open and happy girl. But there was one thing she said to Inge that he still remembers to this day; “thank you for seeing me.”
- be honest an find your own voice
- have expectations – to the pupils and to yourself
- Stimulate curiosity and thirst of knowledge
- Often bring something new to the classroom
- protect and develop rituals
- contribute positively to your colleagues well being and growth and in building teacher’s teams
- participate in the discussions about the social, cultural and political role of the school in society.
With these guidelines, which were just guidelines, he received a great applause. And as Augustine said; “nothing is learned if it is not loved.”