Reporters: SEDANZA, MARY ROSE C. RN TABUYAN, ZARAH JOY RN August 11-12, 2018 QUALITIES OF A TEACHER
Greatness in teaching is just as
rare as greatness in medicine, dance, law, or any other profession. QUALITIES OF A TEACHER Although the qualities that make great teachers are not easy to inculcate or duplicate, understanding these qualities can give all teachers a standard of excellence to strive for, and guide schools in their efforts to recruit and retain the best teachers. 1. Willingness to Put in the Necessary Time Teaching, like every other serious profession, requires time.
Dennis Littky, an award-winning
principal, said, “You can't be a great teacher or principal and not work long, long hours”. 1. Willingness to Put in the Necessary Time By investing time—to prepare for class, to go over student work, to meet students outside of class, to talk to parents, to attend school meetings, and to serve on school committees—a great teacher indicates to students that she or he sincerely cares about their learning. 2. Love for the Age Group They Teach Most teachers find joy in teaching because of their talent for relating to students in a particular age group. Unfortunately, too many school districts transfer teachers on the basis of seniority from one grade to another without recognizing the importance of fit. 2. Love for the Age Group They Teach
An important part of greatness is
the match between the teacher's skills and interests and the age of his or her students. 3. An Effective Classroom Management Style The most effective teachers draw from these well-known theories, but adapt them to their own personality.
Because great teachers develop
and hone their own classroom management style, their techniques vary. 3. An Effective Classroom Management Style All, however, have at least the following common characteristics in their classrooms: a. Few behavior problems. b. A culture of respect that flows in every direction: teacher to students, students to teacher, students to students, and everyone to guests. 3. An Effective Classroom Management Style All, however, have at least the following common characteristics in their classrooms: c. Immediate—or at least timely— teacher actions that usually work. d. A clear, shared understanding of acceptable and appropriate behavior. 4. Positive Relationships with Other Adults Too often, we underestimate the amount of time that teachers spend with other adults in a school—other teachers, administrators, and parents. Great teachers work well with each of these groups. 5. Consistent Excellence Some teachers are able to compartmentalize personal and other issues; others require a short period of time off to handle vexing problems. The best teachers consistently find ways to integrate new methods in an ever-changing profession into their successful practices. 5. Consistent Excellence
Dedication to their work,
flexibility, and the willingness to grow are common to great teachers in the face of difficulty and change. 6. Expert Use of Instructional Methods Great teachers use a variety of instructional methods that they feel comfortable with; within the same school, you'll find different teachers getting excellent results using such methods as mini- lectures and interactive lectures, problem-based learning, cooperative groups, and multiple intelligences approaches. 6. Expert Use of Instructional Methods
No single teaching method or
approach works best for every teacher with every student. 7. In-Depth Content Knowledge Everyone agrees that great teachers possess a solid command of content, whether their expertise lies in knowledge of reading in the early elementary grades or a serious command of biology or mathematics at the high school level. 7. In-Depth Content Knowledge
Because of the close connection
between preparation time and content, the best teachers often spend as much time preparing for a class as they do teaching it. 8. Capacity for Growth Like any other profession, teaching undergoes constant change.
Great teachers remain
intellectually alive and open to responsible change grounded in theory, research, and practice. 9. Steadiness of Purpose and Teaching Personality Some people, particularly people outside the profession, expect teachers to “perform” in classrooms and to maintain a high energy level. Great teachers, however, are not necessarily performers. 9. Steadiness of Purpose and Teaching Personality
Instead, they hold students'
attention through subject mastery, skillful lesson design, actions that demonstrate caring, and an honesty that reveals their individual personality. 10. A Complex Act Teaching is a complex act. Knowing the qualities of greatness can help teachers strive for the highest standards and help education professors, teachers, and administrators jointly craft preservice training or inservice programs that build on these qualities. 10. A Complex Act The late Madeline Hunter compared teaching to surgery, “where you think fast on your feet and do the best you can with the information you have. You must be very skilled, very knowledgeable, and exquisitely well trained, because neither the teacher nor the surgeon can say, ‘Everybody sit still until I figure out what we're gonna do next’” • SOURCE: http://www.ascd.org/publications/bo oks/104138/chapters/The- Qualities-of-Great-Teachers.aspx A good teacher must be able to put himself in the place of those who find learning hard.