Regardless of what kind of teaching professional you may have or what level of school you're talking about, there are simply some traits that every teaching professional needs to have. These traits include a great work ethic, a genuine love of fellow people, a desire to help others, plenty of energy and a lot of integrity. If any of these traits are missing, you're going to have a lackluster teaching professional at best, or a downright terrible professional at worst. Either option can do serious damage to more than a generation of young people, so it's pretty important.

Work Ethic

A great work ethic will propel any teaching professional to go the extra mile. This means tutoring, providing specifics at parent teacher conferences and all sorts of "Extras" that nobody's paid for but that really help out.

Love of Others

A teaching professional that really feels a sense of brotherly love for other people is the type of person who goes the distance, even on the worst days. While a lot of teachers and administrators will have days when they'll barely be able to conceal their bitterness about this or that, a person who genuinely cares for others won't have that at all. They'll sometimes be disappointed, but they'll be the most willing to step up and help children who are struggling in some way.

Desire to Help

The desire to help other people is closely related to a love for others, but the two aren't the same thing. With a real desire to help comes a level of proactivity that most people lack. When there's a chance to help, a person who loves helping will organize others for the purpose.

High Energy

Teaching professionals need a lot of energy to keep up with children. On top of that, they also need the energy that can only come from being genuinely excited about the subjects they're working with. Administrators need to be passionate about the fact that they're helping students to succeed. Any task that's infused with real passion doesn't feel much like work.

Integrity to Spare

Without integrity, nothing really works. A teaching professional has to be supremely honest and totally congruent within their role. They can't very well be expected to teach children how to be good, honest citizens without being that kind of person in the first place.