Patience is an important quality of a teacher. Patience differs from
tolerance. Tolerance is putting up with a problem and does not help a
child to grow and correct his or her mistakes. Patience is the capacity
to give the child time to learn while waiting for an opportunity to
teach. Patience reveals care and with care comes creativity.
Creativity is a
dynamic process discovered as one continues teaching. A love for
communication and trust in the child’s capacity to learn make one
creative. It is like a mother’s experience in feeding a
two-year-old child. Making the child eat while keeping the child still
presents a challenge for the mother. Her commitment to feeding the
child makes her creative in enticing the child to eat.
A lack of
patience and trust can bring nervousness and frustration to the teacher
and to the children. This can later lead to condemnation of the
children themselves. Chiding a child in front of a group is hurtful and
unproductive. If a child needs to be corrected, it is important to talk
privately to the child and with care to correct the mistake.
