Best Practice / First Year of Teaching
What Makes a Good Teacher?
By now, your classes have started and your school year is off to an exciting start. You and your students have settled into a nice routine of teaching and learning. In today’s article, we will take a look at some of the desirable characteristics of an effective teacher.
Thousands of articles and books have been written on this topic. I ask each of you to take a moment to reflect on the items that we will discuss today.
First of all, it is imperative that you have mastered what I will refer to as the “triad of good teaching.” You are a content expert. You possess a remarkable set of best practice pedagogical skills. You are an expert at building positive relationships with students. Always remember: Content-Pedagogy-Relationships. Although each element is important, it is imperative that you put relationship building on top of that triad. I have come to believe that no matter what content knowledge you may possess or what powerful pedagogy you own, if you cannot build the right relationships with your students, it will not matter what your other assets may be. If you do not connect, students will quickly shut you down and tune you out.
I encourage each of you to conduct periodic action research projects. Projects such as this are extremely empowering and rewarding. They are also quite informative. About a decade ago, I embarked on a project with a group of teacher leaders. This action team wanted to find out what made our students turn on to the instruction of a given teacher. We brought a cross section of our students together and created a fishbowl activity and posed this question to them, “what do teachers do that makes you want to learn?” What we heard was extremely insightful and served as a foundation for some meaningful professional development and some changes in standard operating procedure. I keep with me a working list of about 200 items that the students shared. Yes, there were some immature comments, but by and large, the students’ responses were thoughtful and very mature. I will share with you several that appeared on the list. According to our students, engaging teachers…:
- Made learning fun.
- Interacted with students on a personal level.
- Explained everything until it was understood.
- Showed interest in our lives.
- Gave us hands-on experiences.
- Motivated and inspired us.
- Have a sense of humor.
- Show an interest in what they are teaching.
- Care whether you pass or fail.
- Vary teaching techniques.
- Treat us with respect.
- Encourage us to do hard work.
- Are real.
- Relate lessons to life.
- Have energy and enthusiasm.
- Believe in you.
- Come early and stay late.
- Show that they are really interested in you and are in it not just to get paid.
- Help us become a better person and prepare us for life.
You can see by this small sample what is on the minds of the students. These are all items that you can personally change. Notice that there was nothing about the curriculum or the work required. It is about the teacher, the most important predictor of student achievement.
Next, I would like to share a brief summary of a powerful article that I always keep handy for quick reference. Mary Poplin and a group of researchers published an article in Kappan Magazine in 2011 which took a look at the attributes of highly effective teachers in low performing urban schools. I am convinced that what is discussed in this article benefits all teachers, regardless of where they teach. These attributes include:
- Strictness-Students welcomed strict teachers coupled with a feeling that the teachers believed in them.
- Instructional Intensity-The intensity of student work was readily evident, and there was little wasted instructional time.
- Movement-Teachers always moved about the classroom. This is extremely important because it allows for quick feedback and gave teachers a better opportunity to get to know their students. When working with new teachers, I have always emphasized the phrase, “proximal distance to learning.” I wanted the teacher to be near the student.
- Traditional Instruction-Teachers followed the essential elements of good instruction and pushed the students.
- Exhorting Virtues-Teachers always talked with a future orientation for the students.
- Strong and Respectful Relationships-Effective teachers are respectful, taught with high energy, and were continually optimistic. (Poplin, et.al. 2011)
Additionally, the teachers that participated in the study globally believed that:
- Every student has much more potential than they use.
- Students generally have not been pushed.
- It is the teacher’s responsibility to change this.
- The teachers are able and want to do this. (Poplin, et.al. 2011)
When all is said and done, for me, everything goes back to the notion that it is all about effort and attitude. Those that work hard and bring a positive, upbeat, and enthusiastic attitude to work every day are usually successful. They will not let the students give up, and they will not give up on the students. I hope you are one of these teachers!
References
Poplin, M., Rivera, J., Durish,D., Hoff,L., Kawell, s., Pawlak, P., Soto-Hinman, I., Strauss, L., and Veney,C.,(2011) Highly Effective Techers in Low-Performing Urban Schools. Kappan Magazine, V92, N5, February, 39-43.
