The online journal Faculty Focus has a recent article on Good Teaching: Top 10 Requirements. Most of the points Dr. LeBlanc discusses involve strengthening the communication channels between students and instructors. Effective communication is key. But it also helps to be well-versed in the material that you are trying to teach.

Dr. LeBlanc points out that good teaching is about “doing your best to keep on top of your field, reading sources, inside
and outside of your areas of expertise, and being at the leading edge as
often as possible.” This is in addition to the other communication roles that a good teacher must fulfill.

Update (Angie Hammons)

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“Good teachers practice their craft not for the money or
because they have to, but because they truly enjoy it and because they want to.
Good teachers couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

When you think about teaching, do you consider it a
craft?  Is it something you are excited about doing?  How do you know
if you are any good at it?  Do ratings give a clear picture?  The
article Good Teaching: The Top 10 Requirements takes a look at the craft
of teaching. 

Teaching for me has always been about impacting the lives of
students.  As I have moved into working with faculty and other
instructors, I don’t see that connection every day.  What I do see are
individuals who are excited about making a difference for students.