what makes a good chess teacher

Its interesting there are many instructors in chess, as there are in golf, tennis etc, and having taken lessons in both I get how a good golf coach, or tennis coach can help you!

The key is whats everyones view of what makes a good chess coach?

For me in all of the above its how you relate to the pupil and your ability to convey your message.  I mean everyone here who is a chess coach is smart and we can learn from everyone but I think you need to connect with the person who is teaching you or else it will fail

Know your audience.

Know how to explain things based on the ability of the student.

Be patient.

Be stern but fair.

A good coach should be a strong player. Many mediocre coaches try to teach stuff they do not understand themselves.

I think a big part of it is knowing how to make the lessons fun. Chess is really hard and if you arent enjoying the process at all, you probably arent going to make long term progress. For me making it fun isnt so much about what someone is trying to teach me....its more about how, What I mean if a coach has a lot of enthusiasm and passion for the topic, its fun for me...whether its king pawn endgame, attacking chess, game analysis, openings or whatever it may be.

Define "strong". 

Is a GM really the best choice for someone that is a casual weekend 1 day tournament player? Or is a solid USCF A-B-C player a better fit?

Many, many things make a good coach. One is simply identifying and understanding your students problems, the barriers that are holding them back.

I like teachers/coaches that use the EDGE method:
1. Explain how it’s done. “The Scholar's Mate can be done in 4 moves using your bishop and queen to attack the King's Bishop Pawn..”

2. Demonstrate the steps you just explained. Narrate your actions to reinforce the first step.

3. Guide the learners as they practice. Let the learner try. Offer help when needed, and let the learner repeat until they’ve got it down.

4. Enable them to succeed. This is when you step back, sit down and watch.

A good teacher is also a good listener.

I like a teacher that explains IDEAS as opposed to just saying move here if this gets played, etc. For example, a good teach may say "in these types of positions its often good to curtail this bishops influence". Or " with this pawn structure it helps to target c6 to create a weakness there, u can do that by this & this & that, etc". Or " this is known as a weak square complex. Why that's important is.... ". Or "ur long term goals with this pawn structure is... & here's why that even matters...".

Not a coach just saying moves that a computer can give u. I knew a master once (not a good teacher) & all he'd do was look at a game and say stuff like well next time "if u  get in this position again play this" without even explaining the WHY part of anything. It was all memorization with him. 

It depends. A good coach for me may not be a good coach for you. We all have different needs and because of that we like different stuff. Thats why I think a good coach must be adaptive. Strength of a coach isnt crucial and decisive, but the stronger he is the better knowledge he will have. It doesnt mean he will be able to offer it to you in good understandable ways. Lower rated coach with great teaching skills will always teach you more than higher rated coach who cant express himself. Also a style of studying will have an impact on how the lessons are received. For some students they have to be fun, for others serious, or short, repetitive, or what not. Thats my opinion. :)

It really depends on what you need.

Hi! My name is Lauren Goodkind and I’m a respected chess coach and chess YouTuber based in California:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP5SPSG_sWSYPjqJYMNwL_Q

I've been coaching for the last nine years.  Some of my students have been with me for over 3 years. 

What makes a good coach are:

Good communication, make the lessons fun and challenging, be patient, and more. 

Every student is different.  What works for one student might not work for another student. I'll be happy to talk to other people about chess coaching if they are considering pursue this career.   

A good teacher isnt attached to their beliefs. Good teachers can change their instructions based on the students temperament. 

Yes and No.  The child's age and attention span needs to be taken in to consideration.  But if by "temperament" you mean "I dont want to learn that".   Then thats nothing but a temper tantrum. 

I’m not sure about that reputation, some times reputation is everything.

I use to teach MMA and my students have expressed their appreciation on the fact that I could and have kicked any bum off the street that decides to stir up havox in our training facility.

Practice what you preach is critical. Avoid hypocrisy.

I find the most rewarding aspect of coaching is bringing out the best in the student. 

A good chess teacher is a good chess STUDENT. All teachers must themselves be passionate students about their subjects or their knowledge will stagnate, and they will lose touch with the crucial element of "the beginner's mind."

A good chess teacher uses socratic questioning to give the tools for a student to find the answer to something themselves instead of just providing them with an answer.

A good teacher is friendly, patient, strict, and deeply passionate about learning in general.

Lastly, a teacher must be competent in their skill - competence appropriately proportionate to their student's skillset.

His is NOT relevant don’t spam  forums

The same things that make a person good at teaching in general i.e. not only understanding the material, but understanding what is useful for the student to learn at this point in their development.

Having said all of these great points is what makes it hard to find someone without going broke on initial lessons only to find out that person is not for you