In the early years of education students were punished for things such as writing left-handed and speaking a language other than English in the class room. In the years since then there have been many changes and advances in the field of education. These changes include everything from how to treat students in the classroom, to what to teach students, and which students were deemed fit to be educated. Another area, in which this profession has undertaken growth and development, is the qualities that teacher need to possess in order for them to become more effective in the education of their students. In this paper I will discuss the qualities that are necessary for effective teaching, supported with information from an interview with Dr. Ginny Maurer.
Since the education profession is one that is ever evolving and constantly changing, it is very important for teacher to possess the qualities that are needed in order for them to be as effective as possible. One of these qualities is being able to motivate students to push themselves to learn. The able to create a passion within the student for an education is something that every teacher should be striving for during their career. In my interview with Dr. Maurer, she said that getting to know your students and making the class as interesting and engaging as possible are two ways to help motivate students toward an education. She went on to say that teachers need to plan around the students, be realistic, and as interactive as possible. By motivating students to think for themselves, they will be able to accomplish more and become the leaders of their own lives.
The second quality, that is important for an effective teacher, is knowing as much of the cutting edge information tha...
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...ers to be criticized by one another for poor teaching that could easily be fixed with professional development and further training in one’s subject.
With all of the qualities that teachers need to possess in order to become an effective teacher the main thing to remember is that teaching is all about the little thing. A teacher, no matter how great, will never be able to radically transform the life of every student they come into contact with. Nevertheless an effective teacher will never stop trying and they will, more times than not, have a positive effect in the lives all of their students. In conclusion teaching is about having fun, being flexible, working with others in order to add substance to the topic, and leading students down the path to an education that will continue to enrich their lives for years after the classroom doors have closed behind them.
As I read these articles, I agreed with almost everything that was said. The Great Teacher Question: Beyond Competencies, by Edward R. Ducharme begins with a sentence that basically sums up my reason for teaching, “I begin this essay by defining a great teacher as one who influences others in positive ways so that their lives are forever altered” (Ducharme, 1991 p. 2). Over the course of a student’s education they will have many teachers, but there are maybe only one or two who are THE teacher. The teacher who impacts this child’s life in a positive way forever. The rest of the articles follow this same theme, suggesting ways that teachers can become THE teacher. One of the most important qualities I found in these articles (and one I
Robinsons says that, “In fact, the real challenges for education will only be met by empowering passionate and creative teachers and by firing up the imaginations and motivations of the students.” (247). The reason why he says that is because most often having a teacher not take a lot of interest in what they are teaching or not having the inspiration in wanting to get students excited for learning. What he means by this is
Successful teachers develop the whole child by making integrated efforts to promote their student’s academic, social and emotional learning. Children need to be aware of themselves and others; make responsible decisions, and be ethical and respectful of the people around them.
It is expected that the profession of teaching embraces many qualities of any other professional practice. Teachers must possess a combination of many qualities beginning with a strong academic background and wide-ranging knowledge. The National Framework for Professional Standards for Teaching (2003) it is the knowledge of students, curriculum, subject matter, pedagogy, education – related legislation and the specifically teaching context that is the foundation on effective teaching, and a firm foundation on which to construct well educated judgments.
It is first important to understand how motivation works in the classroom. There are infinite procedures teachers use to achieve desired effects from their students, but there are general patterns these motivational tools follow. In order for teachers to communicate with their students, they must identify with their needs on an individual basis (Gawel, 1997). This proposal is much akin to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, which states five basic needs that must be met in order to achieve full motivation. These needs, in ascending order, are as follows: physiological, security, love and belongingness, esteem and self-respect, and self-actualization (Gawel, 1997). Each of these needs details a very important issue in motivation inside the classroom and out.
...em to look at several elements that affect their student’s motivation and ask why and how this affects them in the first place. After that, I would tell him to arrange a lesson plan utilizing structural factors such as patterns and sequences, with a view to individual application and the group dynamics of the class. By doing so, the teacher can grow in his students a sense of shared motivation guided by these structural factors, so that each interrelated lesson are remembered. These lesson plans must also consider the effective ways of instilling discipline in the students. The teacher must allow for response from the students so that he may understand the students’ perception of reality, value systems, and will, so that he may understand how to motivate his students more. By understanding the motivations of his students, he can bring about a change in their lives.
Everyone knows that when it comes to making a difference in a child’s academic and life achievements, their teachers play a large role. A teacher’s ability to relate to their students, and teach them to achieve both socially and academically contributes to how effective they are. What does it mean to be an effective teacher? Overall there seems to be an emphasis on teacher effectiveness related to how well their students are performing on standardized testing. As teachers we know there is more to being an effective teacher then just teaching our students based on tests. This paper will identify different definitions of an effective teacher along with how to assess teachers on being effective.
It’s hours upon hours of grading tests, quizzes, essays, and much more. It’s interacting with the students, understanding how students think and learn, and most importantly, knowing how to prepare students for their future, whether it be going straight to college after graduation, to the world of work, or to the military. Being a teacher is caring for kids and students and pushing each child to be the best person he or she can be. ¨… one theme runs consistently throughout every great teacher’s career: their job does not end with the school day… Great teachers motivate, inspire and lead. They interact with their community to affect positive change through their students and themselves. Great teachers change lives,” (“What Does a Teacher
There are many things which make a teacher great and they all can`t be defined.However i`ve always considered several of them essential.In my opinion a good teacher is someonewho first of all creates interest in studying,doesn`t underestimate the children,has equal expectations of siccess from everyone and last but not least likes his job.
Components such as these weigh heavily on the understanding and importance of learning to the student. These aspects aid in creating lifelong learners.
In order for learning to take place in the classroom the teacher has to put in place an effective teaching and learning strategy. Being an effective teacher is not something that can be achieved instantaneously but rather something that has to be continuously developed and improved upon over time. Petty mentions how good teachers are not born but rather make themselves and that effective teaching comes from learning from your mistakes and successes. Petty, p. 516, 2009. This process involves teacher reflection and assessment of the effectiveness of different teaching strategies used in the classroom. It is only then that teachers can learn and advance themselves.
Being a teacher is not an easy task as many people could think. To be a teacher does not only imply to know the subject to be taught, it also includes being willing to constantly improve oneself integrally, as much as updating the resources and materials one uses in teaching. Reflecting and analyzing over and over again the best way to teach to learn and how to make students to extend what has been learned. The many hours spend in the classroom will never be enough to plan lessons, prepare materials, review pupils tasks and exams, as well, all the administrative requirements one has to cover for whatever institution we work. Besides all this a good teacher, a professional one, will have to find the time to keep preparing to improve oneself.
Education is an ever-changing part of society. A classroom teacher is faced with new challenges and obstacles that have never been dealt with before. Students come to the classroom with different life stories. Every student has strengths and weaknesses that surface in the classroom environment. Teachers must understand and focus on utilizing each student's strengths and work to improve weaknesses. Students learn in a variety of ways. The classroom must be a safe zone that appreciates student's viewpoints and allows room for mistakes. When topics in the classroom are related to "real-life" experiences, the information is more likely to be retained. Students learn from one another. The ideas and perspectives that each student brings to the classroom can bring insight into what is being learned. Students have to be allowed to explore new ideas, try them to see if they work, and sometimes fail. When students are encouraged to explore, they begin the process of becoming lifelong learners.
Good teachers set high expectations and motivate the students to meet those expectations. As students strive for excellence, teachers assist students in meeting their highest potential through daily lessons. Teachers also serve as role models. Teachers make a contribution to society by preparing students for their real world endeavors. They teach students through example to be kind, respectful, humble, patient and determined.”
In this course I experienced an important change in my beliefs about teaching; I came to understand that there are many different theories and methods that can be tailored to suit the teacher and the needs of the student. The readings, especially those from Lyons, G., Ford, M., & Arthur-Kelly, M. (2011), Groundwater-Smith, S., Ewing, R., & Le Cornu, R. (2007), and Whitton, D., Barker, K., Nosworthy, M., Sinclair, C., Nanlohy, P. (2010), have helped me to understand this in particular. In composing my essay about teaching methods and other themes, my learning was solidified, my knowledge deepened by my research and my writing skills honed.