JOPLIN, Mo. — Your child has a brand-new spiral notebook, freshly sharpened pencils and a new box of crayons. She’s ready to return to school. But for her to have a truly successful year, there is one item more critical than the rest: a good teacher.

So how do you know if your child has one?

There is no one-size-fits-all package for a good teacher, but some qualities are universal, local teachers say. Good teachers are generally passionate about their profession and students and are good communicators and motivators.

Passion for teaching

The best teachers are the ones who put their students first, said Sarah Lee, principal of Webster Primary Center in Webb City and a former elementary school teacher.

“Their dedication is to their students,” she said. “Students first.”

A teacher’s passion for his or her material and for helping students is “crucial,” said Sara Reineke, a third-grade teacher in Carl Junction and the district’s 2010 Elementary Teacher of the Year. A good teacher smiles and is excited about coming to work, she said.

“Whenever I come in with positivity about the space unit or multiplication, it’s contagious,” Reineke said. “They catch it, and they know they need to get excited, too. Being excited about space, or whatever the unit happens to be, they’ll go home and talk to their parents about it.”

Lee agreed that a passion for education is a must.

“The kids will know if you don’t care,” she said. “When they know that you care, they will do much more than if you are just there because it’s your job. ...It doesn’t matter if they’re in kindergarten or a senior (in high school), they need to know the teacher cares about them.”

Teachers who are passionate about teaching will often try to keep it interesting in the classroom. Lee, for example, is a big proponent of differentiated instruction, in which the teacher provides different ways for students to demonstrate Ñ based on their needs and interests Ñ what they have learned about a subject.

Reineke likes to get creative. Each year she does a project with her students during an economics unit in which the children make a truck by acting as an assembly line. Both the students and the parents usually say they enjoy that project, she said.

Building relationships

A good teacher also works hard to build a relationship with his or her students, Reineke said.

“I tell them things about me and about my own two children, so they know me on a personal basis, which makes them feel comfortable with me and sharing with me,” she said.

Lee said teachers should get to know their students individually.

“Spend time with them; talk to them; ask them questions that don’t have anything to do with schoolwork,” she suggests. “Sit next to them when they’re working; give them opportunities to talk to you in a nonauthoritative way; get to know their families.”

Communication

Good teachers will also let parents know what’s going on in class and how the child is doing. Reineke said that kind of communication Ñ whether by phone or by e-mail, through newsletters or the Internet Ñ and parental involvement is critical to her classroom.

“They know the child better than anyone else in the picture, so their input is very important,” she said.

To facilitate communication with her students’ parents, Reineke maintains a website that she updates each Friday with announcements and other relevant items, such as spelling words. She also sends an e-mail to parents on Friday to let them know the site has been updated, and she keeps hard copies of the information for parents who don’t have e-mail or Internet access.

Reineke said she has also taken phone calls or text messages from parents who needed a question answered.

“I would rather solve the problem,” she said of her availability. “I’d rather them just text or call me and solve the problem real quick rather than have a stressful evening.”

Other qualities

A good teacher is prepared and organized, Reineke said. He or she is also consistent with discipline and routines “to where the kids know what to count on each day,” she said. “That makes them feel safe.”

Lee said the best teachers have high expectations, and they know which practices and methods to use with their students based on the students’ needs.