A teacher in Hebrew in today’s world. When a person looks for a someone to help them learn Hebrew it is important that they find someone with experience.  I often wonder what qualifies a person to be a Hebrew teacher? Is it the fact that they studied Hebrew in high school? Or should they have studied at Hebrew and university as well? Should they have grown up in a Jewish household? Or should the teacher have spent time in Israel?

Living in Israel vs studying Hebrew at school

There is definitely something to be said to have a teacher who has lived and breathed Hebrew in Israel. The question is, can this person teach? Just because a person knows Hebrew, does not mean he or she can be a teacher in Hebrew. The same can be said about some who has studied Hebrew at high or university. They may know the grammatical rules on Hebrew, but can they be a teacher in Hebrew?

What qualities should a teacher in Hebrew have?

Apart from the obvious qualities of knowing Hebrew, a person needs to be able to teach in Hebrew. What other qualities should a teacher have? In my opinion, they need the same qualities as any other teacher: adaptability, patience, passion and enthusiasm. Without passion and enthusiasm, all the teacher is doing is regurgitating information, which will make the learning extremely dry and boring!

Being able to adapt to different students is extremely important. All students are different, and learn differently.  What works for one student, may not work for another. This is where adaptability is critical. The Hebrew teacher needs to change their teaching method or approach for each individual, to ensure that everyone can learn the material, but in a way that suits them.

Patience is very much needed to be able to teach students who do not quite understand the material.  Every student needs to understand the material. Some need more help than others. This is where patience comes in.