7 Essential Interpersonal Skills for Teachers

Teachers are one of the social groups responsible for people’s socialization and thus their way of being. They are a cornerstone of society and human development wherever you go.

This article will discuss a list of 7 Essential Interpersonal Skills for Teachers and then explain why they are so crucial for the teachers and the students.

• Observation
• Emotional Intelligence
• Leadership
• Active Listener
• Liberal
• Communicating clearly
• Empathy

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1. Observation

Observation is essential for the teacher to know his students better and learn to teach. This process of learning to teach does not occur only during academic life.

In the classroom, the aspiring teacher can verify the theory in practice, and in this way, observe the positive points and the points that can be perfected in the teaching-learning process.

Classroom observation occurs when the teacher can analyze and reflect on the students’ performance in the development of class activities. Through the word, it is possible to verify participation/interest, routine, teamwork, creativity, communication, etc.

Observation is a practice that must always permeate the teacher’s career. It should be concerned with evaluating the classroom; it should also serve the educator to analyze and reflect on their daily performance.

Benefits of observation:

• It allows us to look more emphatically at a particular scenario, person or object, without interpreting or judging;
• When we observe, we see the intensity of actions, positions, shapes, textures, colors, movement, processes, frequency, sequence, and especially the details, which will give us a more critical look at the fact.

2. Emotional Intelligence

The teacher’s role in the classroom ends up going far beyond the teaching itself. Especially in primary education, professionals are seen as behavioral references (often without intention) before students in relation to attitudes, feelings, and emotions.  

Even with all the preparation during the training and the years of experience, the teacher can observe everyday situations for which he is not prepared.

 Emotional intelligence emerges before this scenario to act as a haven for the teacher, analyzing with wisdom the circumstances instead of letting be driven by emotions that may show up and affect the interaction teacher-student.

Emotional intelligence is about being aware of the feeling we were having at the moment, and because of that, we take care of and analyze actions we may take. Remember, we are partially responsible for how we feel but hundred percent responsible for how we act.

Benefits of having emotional intelligence:

• Knowing, recognizing, and analyzing one’s own emotions;
• Learn to see the positive side and to keep an optimistic thought ;
• Establishes a favorable learning climate, based on relations of respect, equity, trust, cooperation, and enthusiasm;

3. Leadership

A teacher-leader knows how to motivate, generates empathy and admiration of the class, has a mastery of the teaching-learning process, certainly will be more successful during their lessons.

Brief conversations at the beginning of class, when strolling through the classroom, demonstrating the student’s real interest can be a great source of establishing a relationship with the student.

The classroom is a stage, and the teacher is the great actor. Therefore, when you appear on the scene, show some enthusiasm. When a student asks a question, answer with a twinkle in your eye. End the class with a grand finale. The excitement is contagious, and everyone loves being around that teacher.

We are motivated by the people we trust. Do what you promised, don’t be late, and lead by example. Trust is earned not only through great deeds but through small things.

Benefits of being a teacher-leader:

• It opens the door to deeper channels of affective bonds and generates, over time, an environment of collaboration and security in which students know they can count their achievements and difficulties;
• If teachers are examples of sensitivity and receptivity and ask for feedback from themselves, they increase the chance of finding acceptance from other employees.

4. Active Listener

Being a good listener is an elementary differential for the development of leadership. In addition to increasing student confidence, listening makes the environment less hostile, reduces misunderstandings, and improves employee experience.

Knowing how to listen is, in fact, the beginning of efficient communication, the one that inspires and that leads to the realization of something greater. For this reason, try to pay attention to those with whom you converse, whoever they may be.

Benefits of being an active listener:

• We acknowledge more about the person who is speaking and get to know different perspectives from the subject who is being discussed;
• Adds much more to our development and the institution;

5. Liberal

Being liberal means loving freedom above all, above political correctness, often beyond our interests. This happens as a way of building a socially more just society. Each of us has the necessary conditions to realize ourselves professionally and personally with our effort.

This does not mean we don’t set limits as teachers. Still, we absolve from negative criticism and respect each person’s individuality, looking at every one of them as a contribution that needs to be given to us.

Benefits of being liberal:

• Allows students to feel free, comfortable, and safe in the face of their characteristics and choices;
• It builds a relationship of respect, favoring interpersonal relationships, and contributes to conflict reduction.

6. Communicating clearly

When communication is accompanied by conviction and enthusiasm, it causes more impact and transmits security to the recipient. The communicator has to believe and be intimately convinced of the theme/subject that is to speak. It is essential to communicate with people to transmit joy, spontaneity, will, and energy.

A sure communicator should know about the subject you want to talk about. Research, prepare and study the topics that will be addressed to convey firmness to our audience.

People who read a lot and communicate well are usually opinion-formers for exchanging information with others and questioning what they think. When speaking above all, be spontaneous and enjoy each detail.

Benefits of communicating clearly:

• People will be more interested in establishing a dialogue;
• Communicative people make friends/colleagues more easily without fear of appearing ridiculous;
• We have no difficulty in expressing their ideas, whether through words, drawings, or other forms.

7. Empathy

Empathy is much more than identifying another feeling and reporting that the problem has emotionally influenced us in question in the past or at the moment.

Once we put ourselves in the place of the other and try to understand and live what the other is living according to his perspective and his way of seeing the world, we begin to connect with the universe of that person and, therefore, to live according to his reality in some way.

This makes us better understand the reasons of various people and respect the history of each person. We become people able to feel “the same” as the other senses and know that the other is sad, joyful, angry, etc.

Benefits of being empathetic:

• Improves our self-knowledge and emotional intelligence;
• It enhances our world view and diminishes our judgment.

Conclusion

Teachers are subjected to numerous stressful situations that, over time, can end up harming their social interaction. When developing interpersonal skills, there is an inversion of attitudes that contribute significantly to more pleasant teaching.

Reference and Further Reading

ALTUSASSEMENTS. The importance of people skills for teacher success.

wise step.Interpersonal Skills Importance for Teachers, Students & Managers