What Makes A Good Teacher?
I had a great #edchat on how we can change the negative perception on education. @unklar and @MisterEason started talking about how to determine the definition of a "good" teacher, which got me thinking... What makes a good teacher? I am sure there are many more attributes, but these are the top three that I thought of.
A good teacher is someone who makes connections with students, administrators and community members.
Building relationships is very important in education. So many times teachers don't value the connections they have with their own students. These connections do not always come easily and teachers need to work on them constantly throughout the year. The connections teachers make with each other and with administrators is also important. Good teachers become leaders and help those around them for the benefit of the students. In today's world, it is more important than ever to build connections between your school and the community. I have seen first-hand how much learning can came come from these connections (by teachers AND students).
A good teacher is someone who owns up to failures AND makes a plan to improve.
To be your absolute best you need to be able to critically look at your performance. This is why teachers need to reflect on their lessons and be able to point out their strengths and weaknesses. I think good teachers can do this, but GREAT teachers look at their weaknesses and make a plan on how to improve them.
A good teacher is someone who is passionate about education.
Passion is so important in any job that you have. Passion is what makes teachers want to improve, learn more, and find ways to help students learn. I am sure we can all say that we have seen a teacher after they have lost their passion (or maybe they never even had it) and it isn't a pretty sight. Passion needs to be nurtured so that it continues to be strong and evident in everything you do.
What would you add to this list?
A good teacher is someone who makes connections with students, administrators and community members.
Building relationships is very important in education. So many times teachers don't value the connections they have with their own students. These connections do not always come easily and teachers need to work on them constantly throughout the year. The connections teachers make with each other and with administrators is also important. Good teachers become leaders and help those around them for the benefit of the students. In today's world, it is more important than ever to build connections between your school and the community. I have seen first-hand how much learning can came come from these connections (by teachers AND students).
A good teacher is someone who owns up to failures AND makes a plan to improve.
To be your absolute best you need to be able to critically look at your performance. This is why teachers need to reflect on their lessons and be able to point out their strengths and weaknesses. I think good teachers can do this, but GREAT teachers look at their weaknesses and make a plan on how to improve them.
A good teacher is someone who is passionate about education.
Passion is so important in any job that you have. Passion is what makes teachers want to improve, learn more, and find ways to help students learn. I am sure we can all say that we have seen a teacher after they have lost their passion (or maybe they never even had it) and it isn't a pretty sight. Passion needs to be nurtured so that it continues to be strong and evident in everything you do.
What would you add to this list?
I completely agree! Relationships, improvement, and passion are essential in the classroom. How do you stay passionate when you've had one of the "bad" days, say when a student curses you as he runs out of the room?
ReplyDeleteI have found that passion is something that can fade if you don't take care of it. Everyone will have "bad"days, but I try to think about what I can do better on the next day. I also have a great mentor who allows me to vent and then asks what I could do to make things better.
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