In "our" time, teachers were not chosen. There were more children, people were simpler, teachers ... In fact, there were already enough of them in those days, both professionals and people who had entered the profession accidentally. But the parents had to rely on fate. After all, "become in a pose", they say, this teacher does not suit me, give me another, it was absolutely unacceptable. And there was no question of complaining about the teacher. Respect for this profession was unshakable. Unfortunately, many used this not at all by right. Parents could only hope for a better share for their child, or in every possible way to look for approaches to the existing mentor. Approaches, by the way, even then were oh what different!
Now everything is different. Parents not only had the opportunity to choose a school for their child, but also to get acquainted with teachers in advance, compare, choose the best. Here only the concept of the best in this case is very subjective. The main selection criteria are age, pedagogical experience, category, personal qualities. So, who gives preference - a young teacher who recently graduated from high school or the one who at the question of teaching "the dog ate"? Usually the top takes the second one. But the methods by which teachers are most often taught "in years" have long been outdated. Time dictates its approach to modern youth, and to teaching in general, and children to engage in Soviet templates are now completely uninteresting. Young teachers have a chance to be with children "on the same wavelength," of course, with the right approach and a certain diligence. They are not oppressed by the stereotypedness of the Soviet school, they are more free in their judgments.
Now about the category. I personally witnessed how the parents nearly fought for a place in the classroom with a teacher with the highest category. But, after talking with other teachers, I heard: "Yes, she's just a careerist! The main thing is that everything should be perfect on paper, and children - in the background. These surrenders to the category are such red tape! All free time is taken away! When is it possible for the children to look for ways and methods to develop ... "And again, I personally witnessed how later in the middle of the academic year some parents transferred their children from the class of this teacher to another - without any categories.
Well, you can talk about personal qualities endlessly. What kind of teacher should be? Hard to say. My first teacher was unsightly, some angular, with an ever-unkempt shock of black and white hair. We children, at first were afraid to approach her and called "Baba Yaga". But the next day ran headlong into the classroom, in anticipation of the meeting. And all the first four years we fell in love with her more and more - good, intelligent, loving children and living only by them, their interests, their problems. Two years ago she was gone. And we - former schoolchildren - having learned about this, came from all over the country. I also came to the city of my childhood to pay tribute to my first teacher.
I do not know what the teacher should look like, how he should teach himself. I do not know how to speak, I only know one thing: he must love his work, love children. And parents still have to choose. God grant us all to make the right choice.