This paper argues that it is  not possible to have a meaningful discussion about the effectiveness of teaching without addressing  ( inter alia ) two fundamental  issues, namely , the  qualities  needed to be a  good teacher  in the 21 st century  and the stress inducing difficulties teachers face. These issues were examined in a questionnaire sent to teachers  who  were part of the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) programme at the University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago.  86  replies were received.Respondents stated the main qualities of a good teacher  were: love of children, kindness, knowledge of the subject,a sense of fairness, an ability to resolve conflict situations and empathetic tolerance. The predominant stress factors were: excessive workload,  high number of students in the class, inadequate salary  and status and conflict  with  students.