The Balance of Natural Talent and Skill Development in Becoming a Great Teacher

Some teachers are born. Others are made. How can you tell if you have what it takes? Education is a challenging profession that weaves together numerous skills— not the least of which is public speaking. Educators are great communicators, leaders, and organizers. They empathize, instruct, and sometimes even parent their students. In this article, we take a look at what aspects of education hinge on natural talent, and what components of the job are learned skills. Read on to learn more!

Natural Talent

From here on out, let’s refer to it as “soft skills.” Abilities good teachers have that can’t be taught in a traditional classroom environment. Every job relies on a combination of soft and hard skills. A hard skill is something that you can learn by following a clear progression of steps. For example, writing a test that complies with Common Core standards.

Soft skills tend to involve working with other people. They are often viewed as an extension of the person’s natural personality.

For example, empathy. Active listening. Organization. Soft skills: • Lack a clear progression of learnable steps. • Generally involves the person’s ability to interact with other people and • Tends to include components relating to empathy.

Let’s say you have a student named Jim. Jim is a smart kid but it is hard to reach him. His parents are not very actively involved with his education. You’ve heard rumors that they sometimes leave Jim home alone for days at a time, forcing him to basically parent his younger siblings.

You want Jim to do well in school, the way you know he can, but you also understand why math homework might not be his top priority.

The situation calls for a combination of soft and hard skills. On the concrete end of the spectrum, there are processes in place to help kids— and, for that matter, parents— who are struggling.

But there is also a human element to the situation, isn’t there? You know Jim, and his family. You taught his older brother and ran into similar problems. And so you recognize that there might be a way to assist him even while the slower, district-recommended process unfolds.

Communication with him and his parents. Accommodations within the assignments that make them easier for him to complete. You aren’t sticking strictly to the curriculum. You are making it work for Jim and his family.

So many teachers deal with situations just like this one every day. It’s both a reflection of their immense talent and a reflection of their commitment to public education. But this also begs a question: Are some people simply not naturally skilled enough to teach?

Answer: Maybe/Probably Not

Obviously, no one would make the case that everyone has what it takes to be an awesome teacher. Some people simply do not. But if you have a true passion for education and are simply worried that some of your soft skills aren’t developed enough, there are ways to work around that.

There are online workshops where you can develop some of these traits. Passing them won’t give you a credential you can brag about on your resume, but they may help you come out of your shell a little bit.

The best way to develop soft skills, however, is to practice them every day. If you struggle with organization, develop a system. If you are not able to keep well to a schedule, set specific daily goals designed to help you manage your time better.

If you are awkward at communicating, make a point of speaking with someone new every day. If these steps feel cheesy or embarrassing, that’s ok. Maybe they are. That doesn’t mean they won’t work.

Education Outside the Classroom

Let’s say you have a true passion for education but you don’t know if running a classroom is the right fit for you. That is ok! There are tons of ways to participate in your local education community. Many school districts employ hundreds of people, only a modest portion of which are teachers.

For example, you could consider:

• Administration: Administrators work behind the scenes to make sure everyone has what they need. They help align school policies with district goals and comply with state regulations. Generally, administrators are required to have a master’s degree in school administration. They don’t get summers off like other teachers, but they are paid well—sometimes north of $100K.

• Specialist: Specialists do work with students but in a more controlled way. They generally do not have to run their own classrooms, but instead “push in,” to teach specific concepts. Reading. Writing. STEM. They won’t have to plan or communicate to the same extent that a classroom teacher would, but they still get to work directly with the students. Specialists are fully certified teachers on the same pay scale, they simply work with kids in a slightly different way.

• Misc: There are so many other jobs within education that don’t fall squarely in the category of educator. For example, truancy. It has a sort of police-like quality in the minds of many people, but it’s not about punishment. It’s about helping families achieve the best possible education outcomes.

Many jobs outside the classroom will require a graduate degree of some kind. Alternatively, if you do feel determined to work as a classroom teacher, there are plenty of ways to get a taste of what it is like. If you already have a college degree you will be able to work as a substitute teacher in most states, even without a license.

While subbing is not (at all) the same thing as managing your own classroom it may be a good way to gauge how well prepared you are for the work.

Schools are also always hiring paraprofessionals— basically, teaching assistants— who help educators with lessons and other classroom management needs. Paraprofessionals receive full-time work— though the pay is notoriously low— and they receive very clear insights into what it is like to be an educator.

There are so many opportunities in the world of education. Find the one that makes the most sense for you.